Michael Kors

For the company, see Michael Kors (brand).
Michael Kors
Born Karl Anderson, Jr.
(1959-08-09) August 9, 1959
Long Island, New York, U.S.
Ethnicity Jewish mother
Swedish father
Citizenship American
Education Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City
Occupation Fashion designer
Net worth US$ 1 billion (Forbes, 2014)[1]
Spouse(s) Lance Le Pere (m. 2011)[2]
Parent(s) Joan Hamburger
Karl Anderson, Sr.
Awards

1999 CFDA award for womenswear designer of the year

2003 CFDA award for menswear designer of the year
Website http://www.michaelkors.com

Michael Kors (born Karl Anderson, Jr.; August 9, 1959)[3] is a New York City-based American sportswear fashion designer. He is the honorary chairman and chief creative officer for his company, Michael Kors Holdings Limited (KORS), which sells women's and men's ready-to-wear, accessories, jewelry, footwear and fragrance. Kors was the first women’s ready-to-wear designer for the French house Celine, from 1997 to 2003.[4]

Personal life

Kors was born Karl Anderson, Jr.[5] on Long Island, New York, the son of Joan Hamburg, a former model, and her first husband, Karl Anderson, Sr, a college student.[6][7][8] His mother remarried Bill Kors when he was five, and his surname was changed to Kors. His mother told him that he could choose a new first name as well; subsequently he renamed himself Michael David Kors.[8] He grew up in Merrick, New York and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, New York. Kors' mother is Jewish and his father was of Swedish descent.[5][9][10][11] Kors married his partner, Lance Le Pere, on August 16, 2011 in Southampton, New York.[2][12]

Career

Kors' affinity for fashion started when he was very young. His mother thought it might have had to something to do with the fact that he was exposed to the apparel industry through her modeling career.[13] Michael, at the age of five, even redesigned his mother's wedding dress for her second marriage. As a teen, Kors began designing clothes and selling them out of his parents' basement, which he renamed the Iron Butterfly.[13] Kors also took acting lessons when he was young, but stopped when he was 14 when he decided to focus on becoming a fashion designer.[14]

In 1977, he enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.[15] However, he dropped out after only nine months and took a job at a boutique across from Bergdorf Goodman on 57th Street, where he was given a small space to sell his designs. Shortly after, Dawn Mello, the fashion director at Bergdorf, discovered Kors. She asked if he would show his collection to Bergdorf Goodman's buyers and he has had his collection ever since.[16]

In 1981, Kors launched the Michael Kors womenswear line at Bloomingdale's, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. In 1990, the company launched KORS Michael Kors. A bankruptcy in 1993 forced him to discontinue the KORS line for a time. He managed to get back on his feet by 1997 and launched a lower priced line and at the same time was named the first women’s ready-to-wear designer for French house Celine.[17] In his tenure at Celine, Kors turned the fashion house around with successful accessories and a critically acclaimed ready-to-wear line. Kors left Celine in October 2003 to concentrate on his own brand. Kors launched his menswear line in 2002.

Michelle Obama's first term official portrait showing her wearing a dress designed by Kors

The MICHAEL Michael Kors and KORS Michael Kors lines were launched in 2004, joining the original Michael Kors Collection label. The MICHAEL Michael Kors line includes women's handbags and shoes as well as women's ready-to-wear apparel. Currently, Kors has Collection boutiques in New York, Beverly Hills, Palm Beach and Chicago. As of the end of the first fiscal quarter in 2016, Kors has over 770 Lifestyle stores around the world. The year 2011 marked the 30th anniversary of Kors' business.

A Michael Kors dress
A dress by Michael Kors, 2010

Among the celebrities who have worn Kors' designs are Olivia Wilde, Dakota Johnson, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift, Kate Middleton, Lily Aldridge, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Rachel McAdams, Elissa, Heidi Klum, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Michelle Obama wore a black sleeveless dress from the designer for her first term official portrait as First Lady and later sported Kors again at the 2015 State of the Union address. [18] Joan Allen wore his gown when she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the The Contender. Jennifer Garner wore a custom creation as an Academy Award presenter in 2006. As creative director of Celine, Kors designed many outfits for actresses to wear on screen, including Gwyneth Paltrow in Possession;[19] and Rene Russo in The Thomas Crown Affair.[20] One of his gowns was worn by Alicia Keys for her performance at Barack Obama's inaugural ball on January 21, 2013.[21]

The ad campaigns for Kors, shot by Mario Testino, often reflect the jet-set sportswear that his fans like. Previous campaigns include the model Carmen Kass on a safari in Africa and relaxing on a yacht. More recent campaigns feature models Karmen Pedaru and Natasha Poly living the jet set lifestyle.

Kors was a judge on the Emmy-nominated reality television program Project Runway, which aired on Bravo for five seasons; subsequent seasons aired on Lifetime. On December 18, 2012, it was announced that Kors would be leaving Project Runway, to be replaced by fellow designer Zac Posen.[22]

In January 2014, Forbes reported that Kors now has a personal fortune in excess of $1billion, making him the latest fashion industry billionaire. Michael Kors Holdings had already “minted two billionaires”: Silas Chou and Lawrence Stroll.[23]

Other honors

In 2015, Kors was named a Global Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme. That same year, God’s Love We Deliver dedicated the Michael Kors Building at the non-profit’s new SoHo headquarters in honor of Kors’ ongoing support. In 2013, Kors was selected for The Time 100, the magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. He also made the New York Observer's list of the 100 Most Influential New Yorkers, under the fashion category. Kors was honored by The Couture Council of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) with the 2013 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion. Kors was named to Out magazine’s 2014 Power 50 List. In 2013, Kors presented Hillary Rodham Clinton with the first-ever Michael Kors Award for Outstanding Community service. In 2012, Kors was honored with the Golden Heart Lifetime Achievement Award by God's Love We Deliver, a non-profit organization that distributes fresh meals to people living with HIV/AIDS and other diagnoses, which he has been involved with for over 20 years. In 2010, Kors received the Oliver R. Grace Award for Distinguished Service in Advancing Cancer Research, an annual honor bestowed by the Cancer Research Institute, a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing immune system-based treatments for cancer. In 2010, Kors was the youngest recipient ever of the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and received the Fragrance Foundation’s FiFi Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Michael Kors, left, in January 2015, at Julius's restaurant in Greenwich Village, with a fan

Legal issues

In January 2009, the estate of the artist-designer Tony Duquette sued Kors for trademark infringement after Kors allegedly used Duquette's name and images in promoting Kors' 2009 resortwear collection.[24]

In July 2013, he became the second luxury brand, after Tiffany & Co, to sue Costco for falsely claiming in advertisements that they sold his product.[25][26]

In December 2014, a former Michael Kors employee filed a potential class-action lawsuit against the apparel retailer, alleging the company did not calculate overtime properly or afford employees proper meal breaks.[27]

In popular culture

Kors was referenced in the film The Devil Wears Prada by Meryl Streep's character Miranda Priestly. In the scene, Priestly sweeps into her office and gives a list of instructions to her personal assistant (Emily Blunt). Priestly says, "RSVP 'yes' to Michael Kors' party and I want the driver to drop me off at 9:30 and pick me up at 9:45 sharp".[28]

Kors is also mentioned in Big Sean's song "Dance" by Nicki Minaj. Drake also mentions Michael Kors in his song "From Time", and rapper Pusha T in his song "Numbers on the Boards". Additionally, Kors guest starred as himself in a Fashion Week themed episode of the hit teen show Gossip Girl; the same show that repeatedly showcases several pieces from his collections.

References

  1. ↑ Solomon, Brian (4 February 2014). "Michael Kors Is Fashion's Newest Billionaire". Forbes. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 Lee, Joyce (August 17, 2011). "Designer Michael Kors marries longtime partner". CBS News. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Kors' show a knockout Opulence, glitz dominate wardrobes". Daily News (New York). February 10, 2000. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007.
  4. ↑ "The Michael Kors story.". styl.sh.
  5. 1 2 H.W. Wilson Company (1986). Current Biography. H. W. Wilson Co. p. 360. ISBN.
  6. ↑ Harper's Bazaar: "Michael Kors: American Idol" By Elisa Lipsky-Karasz June 29, 2011
  7. ↑ Archived May 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  8. 1 2 People Magazine: "With His Hot New Line, Michael Kors Grabs the Fashion Ladder's Top Rung" By Elizabeth Sporkin April 8, 1991
  9. ↑ Rappaport, Jill (November 2007). Mazel Tov: Celebrities' Bar and Bat Mitzvah Memories. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-8787-8.
  10. ↑ Andreoli, Richard (2005-02-01). "Working the runway: out designer Michael Kors tells it like it is to would-be fashionistas on Bravo's Project Runway". The Advocate. Archived from the original on 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2007-06-20.
  11. ↑ "Michael Kors". Interview Magazine.
  12. ↑ Rathe, Adam (August 18, 2011). "Michael Kors marries longtime boyfriend Lance LePere in barefoot Southampton beach ceremony". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Michael Kors". Vogue. Archived from the original on December 27, 2012.
  14. ↑ Kilcooley-O'Halloran, Scarlett (January 24, 2013). "Michael Kors". Vogue. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  15. ↑ Infomat Michael Kors Biography, Infomat.com, September 10, 2009
  16. ↑ "Michael Kors: Retail's next billion-dollar man". cnn.com.
  17. ↑ The Michael Kors Story, December 11, 2012
  18. ↑ Wilson, Eric (February 27, 2009). "Mrs. Obama in Kors". The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  19. ↑ Pezik, Anna (August 16, 2002). "Gwyneth Paltrow: 'Possession'". CNN.com archive. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  20. ↑ Atkinson, Nathalie (22 February 2011). "Oscar Scorecard: Best costume design". The National Post. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  21. ↑ Wilson, Julee (2013-01-22). "Alicia Keys' Red Gown: Singer Stuns In Michael Kors Design At Inaugural Ball". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  22. ↑ "Michael Kors Is Leaving 'Project Runway'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  23. ↑ "Michael Kors Is Fashion's Newest Billionaire". Forbes. January 2014.
  24. ↑ Tony Duquette Files Infringement Suit on Michael Kors Einnews.com, January 27, 2009
  25. ↑ "Michael Kors' company suing Costco claiming false advertising". ABC. July 16, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  26. ↑ Shea, Erin (July 16, 2013). "Michael Kors protects brand reputation in Costco lawsuit". Luxury Daily (Napean LLC). Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Former Employee Suing Michael Kors for Labor Abuses". Glammonitor. July 11, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  28. ↑ The Devil Wears Prada script
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