We have compiled for you the story of Michael Kors, one of the legendary brands that come to mind first when it comes to ready made women's clothing and accessories, and its founder, who he named after himself.
Michael David Kors was born on August 9, 1959 in Long Island, New York. His real name is actually Karl Anderson Jr. His mother, Joan Hamburger, was a former model. His father, Karl Anderson Sr, was still a college student when he married Joan. His mother is Jewish; his father was of Swedish descent and his parents divorced when he was very young. When Kors was five years old, his mother remarried, and he took his stepfather's surname, Kors. This little boy, who said the name 'Michael David' after his mother said that he could change his first name, actually took the first steps to become the Michael Kors of today.
Kors grew up in Merrick, New York and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, New York, on Long Island. Kors's interest in fashion started from his childhood. Michael Kors, who did not like his mother's wedding dress from his second marriage, redesigned the wedding dress when he was only five years old. And as a teenager Kors started designing clothes and selling them under the brand name 'Iron Butterfly'. He sold the clothes he designed from his parents' basement.
As his grandparents were fond of fashion and his mother discovered this side of his son and supported him, Kors enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 1977. However, she dropped out of school after only nine months. She got a job at a boutique called Lothar's in Midtown Manhattan. He started here as a salesperson and became both the designer and head of visual display for the store.
Kors, who became the center of attention in a short time with the collections he released here, established the Michael Kors Brand in Bergdorf Goodman in 1981 when he was only 22 years old and launched his first women's collection. Thus, Kors was recognized as the first designer to make ready made women's clothing. In 1990, the company launched KORS Michael Kors as a licensee. However, things did not go quite as he had anticipated. He declared a concordat in 1993 and suspended everything until 1997.
In 1997 it stood up and started a lower priced line. At that time, he received a new offer and became the first women's ready to wear designer of Celine, one of the world famous brands, the French fashion house. During his tenure at Celine, Kors turned the fashion house upside down with successful accessories and an acclaimed ready-to-wear line. However, after working here as well until 2003, he felt it was time to revive Michael Kors again and left Celine to focus on his own brand he. Also in 2003, he won the Menswear Designer of the Year award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the most prestigious award in American fashion.
He started to serve in the men's serial clothing category in his brand, which he revived with the investment he received. Thus, he launched the men's clothing line in 2002. By 2003, things were very different for Michael Kors. In 2004, the fashion brand 'MICHAEL Michael Kors' was launched. The brand showcased women's bags, shoes and clothes. The brand has enjoyed worldwide success.
In 2004, Michael Kors was chosen as one of the judges for the TV series "Project Runway". It was a reality show that focused on fashion design. Contestants were asked to design dresses according to the material and design provided by the judges. It was released in 2004 and became an instant hit with fans and critics. The show aired on Bravo for five seasons, and subsequent seasons aired on Lifetime. Kors quickly gained a reputation for his quick wit and commentary during his tenure as jury. He left the show in 2012. In 2013, Kors was part of the 'Time 100', a list of the 100 most influential people selected by 'Time' magazine.
Of course, the designs and originality of Michael Kors had a very serious share in attracting attention in this way. But the way it was marketed and presented was also one of the biggest factors. After getting the likes of celebrities, everything started to move even faster. The number of celebrities who preferred Michael Kors and announced it in the media was also quite high.
Celebrities wearing Kors' designs included Nicole Kidman, Tiffany Haddish, Reese Witherspoon, Heidi Klum, Olivia Wilde, Blake Lively, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift, Dakota Johnson, Kate Middleton, Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lopez. Michelle Obama wore a designer black sleeveless dress for her first term official portrait as First Lady, and then Kors again at her 2015 State of the Union address.
Kors celebrated the 35th anniversary of his business in 2016. Many celebrities wore dresses designed by Kors. Sportswear designed by Kors was a huge success. In addition, Michael Kors has become a brand that appeals to stylish users with stylish and different watch models that combine quality and aesthetics with creativity and adapt to every season.
After this great growth, Michael Kors, who made serious reforms in the fashion world, took the company he founded and renamed it Capri Holdings. Connecting many world famous brands to himself, Kors joined Capri Holding in 2017 as Jimmy Choo Ltd. added it. Kors, who had Versace in his sights in 2018, succeeded in this as well and managed to incorporate this place into his body with a serious figure of 2 billion dollars. Capri Holding now includes Michael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choo.
Kors, which started to expand to the whole world and became a pioneer in ready-to-wear and accessories, has today become a clothing giant with a total of over 800 stores, including in cities such as Paris, Milan, London, Cannes and Tokyo.
Private life
Michael Kors is a homosexual. In August 2011, he married Lance La Pere, his longtime partner 'Michael Kors' Vice President of women's design. This marriage took place shortly after same-sex marriage was legalized in New York. The couple first met in 1990, when La Pere was an intern at the company.
In 2014, Kors' personal wealth was also reported to be more than $1 billion. Kors has won multiple awards through his involvement with nonprofits, communities, and participation. Kors currently resides in New York.