Trio of designing women make fashion history – Boston Herald

It’s Women’s History Month — time to give some props and love to all of the incredible ladies who have done so much hard work through innovation, brilliant ideas and sacrifice so that we can enjoy the everything we have today.

And by everything, I mean the rights, the freedoms and, in some cases, yes, even the fashion. We all know that what you wear says a lot about you. And no one knew that better than these three historic designing women.

Coco Chanel

These days she is associated with the highest of high-end fashion, but she certainly didn’t start out that way. Coco was born in 1883 in the French countryside; her mother died and her father left her in an orphanage. She became a shop girl and then a café singer and eventually opened a tiny shop, where she sold jersey sweaters. That’s when things took off; she gained a following among wealthy women who were tired of wearing restrictive corsets and petticoats. Her motto was, “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury,” and by the late 1920s she had turned that into a 2,000-employee company worth millions. She died in Paris in 1971 at the age of 87, and her biggest contributions — the tweed suit, the quilted handbag, and little black dress — are still revered today, as is her overall aesthetic of casual elegance.

How to wear her today: This season, the Chanel cotton pullover ($2,250 on neimanmarcus.com) in ecru and navy blue is the picture of spring, and the embodiment of Coco’s sophisticated by easygoing ethos.

Diane von Fürstenberg

Born in 1946, Diane is a Belgian fashion diva/designer best known for her wrap dress. Before that, though, she was a German princess (she married Prince Egon von Fürstenberg and then divorced him in 1983). Not content to simply be a princess, she began designing clothes. And in 1974 she introduced the knitted jersey wrap dress, which, due to its influence on women’s fashion, is in the collection of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The dress, which has been a consistent international favorite since it was launched, is seen as a symbol of feminism — it’s flattering for every kind of body type, and comes in every kind of color and pattern imaginable.

How to wear her today: Wrap dresses are still the rage among ladies who love to be comfy and flatter their curves. The Moira Stretch-Georgette Midi Wrap Dress ($498 on dvf.com) is cut from stretch georgette, and as a sleeveless midi, has a wide belt that defines the waist.

Stella McCartney

Born in London in 1972, the daughter of Beatle Paul McCartney is best known for her celebrity clients and for creating pieces for modern women, with an emphasis on fur- and leather-free designs that are environmentally friendly. Today, sales of her iconic bags and shoes rival those of many leather houses.

How to wear her today: In her Spring 2020 collection, Stella rolled out her most sustainable presentation yet — with the likes of her eco-friendly and fetching Dip Dye Regenerated Cashmere & Wool Sweater ($1095 at nordstrom.com).

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