The House of Balenciaga is rich in history. Founder Cristóbal Balenciaga was once described by Christian Dior as "the master of us all." Balenciaga is clothes for real women in the real world. Styles are severely tailored and flattering to the wearer. Nicolas Ghesquière love affair with the house began in the early nineties but his love for design began much younger. Designer

Ghesquière grew up in Loudun, a small town in France. At the age of 14 he got an internship with designer Agnès B. and by the age of 18 he was working with Jean Paul Gaultier. For two years, staring at 21, he designed an anonymous line of knit wear and he freelanced. Balenciaga came next in 1995, where Ghesquière started out designing women's clothes for the Asian market. At the time the head designer was Josephus Thimister. Thimister was fired in 1997 after an audience walked out on a show that featured ear splitting music. Ghesquière asked for the job of head designer and was given it; he was just 26.

Designer The oldest of the bunch and the cream of the crop Tom Ford, for now, heads up Gucci Group. As creative director for the company, Ford brought glamour and style back to a sagging industry. He was cited, along with Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent as one of the greats of fashion by the New York Times.

Ford was born in Austin Texas in 1962 and went on to attend New York University, party all night at Studio 54, and briefly pursue acting before turning his focus to fashion. He worked for designers Cathy Hardwick and Perry Ellis and then signed with Gucci in 1990 to design the women's ready-to-wear collection. In 1994 he became the creative director at Gucci. Under Ford's direction, Gucci ventured into men's and women's sportswear and evening clothes, and even home furnishings; a turn around for a company known for its leather goods and accessories.

DesignerUnder Ford's leadership and his business partner Domenico De Sole revitalized the House of Gucci. The house went from $200 million in revenue to $3 billion. The dynamic duo created a conglomerate with subsidiaries that include the brands of Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen.