A Name That Shapes Fashion - Michael Kors

When it comes to ready-to-wear women’s clothing and accessories, there’s no need to debate the legendary brand that everyone thinks of first. Since the day the Michael Kors brand was founded, it has been one of the brands that made a breakthrough specifically in women’s fashion and helped shape fashion. The giant brand bearing its founder Michael Kors’s own name also has a fantastic story behind it—and that story goes back to his childhood.

Born in 1959, Kors’s real name was actually Karl Anderson. But he didn’t like the name, or he didn’t change it out of stubbornness. When he took his stepfather’s surname at age 5, his mother told him that if he wanted, he could choose his own name too. He chose the name Michael, and even made a design change in his own name. That’s how the Michael Kors story began.

Who Is Michael Kors?

Kors’s passion for fashion began when he was still a child. His grandparents were very knowledgeable and involved in this. When they saw the fashion spark in him and your ability to put outfits together, they believed he definitely should work in this field. They say he had an interesting design talent—one that allows him to see what others can’t, especially when it comes to styling accessories.

After they saw his fashion talent, his family sent Kors to study at the New York Fashion Institute of Technology—one of the most important fashion institutes in the USA. However, he studied there for only 9 months and then left school to work at Lothars. When they realized how creative and original his character was while working as a sales associate, they immediately moved him into the company’s design department.

Becoming known overnight thanks to the designs he made for Lothars, Kors founded his own brand in 1981. But we can say things didn’t go quite as he expected. In 1993, he filed for bankruptcy protection and put everything on hold until 1997. In 1997, he entered the scene with a product range that lowered prices, and then he received a new offer. He became the first women’s fashion designer of the French fashion house Céline—one of the world-famous brands. However, after working there until 2003, it was time to bring Michael Kors back to life again. With the investment he received, he relaunched the brand and this time started serving the men’s ready-to-wear category as well.

After 2003

As of 2003, everything was very different for Michael Kors. Opening up to the whole world, Kors—an industry leader in ready-to-wear and accessories—has today become a clothing giant with a total of over 800 stores.

Celebrities Who Prefer Michael Kors

Of course, the designs and originality have a major share in how Michael Kors has reached today. But the way it markets and presents itself is also one of the biggest factors that brought it to where it is now. After winning the admiration of celebrities, everything started moving even faster. The number of celebrities who choose Michael Kors and make it known in the media is quite high. Here are the celebrities who have tried the difference of Michael Kors and recommend it:

• Jennifer Lopez
• Angelina Jolie
• Jennifer Lawrence
• Heidi Klum
• Michelle Obama
• Joan Allen
• Rachel McAdems
• Elissa
• Olivia Wilde
• Dakota Johnson
• Blake Lively
• Hillary Clinton
• Melania Trump
• İvanka Trump
• Jennifer Lawrence

These and more celebrities may not have worked as direct celebrities for it, but they showed that they prefer Michael Kors in their everyday lives and posed for the cameras.

You can click here to explore all the new-season products of the Michael Kors brand that dozens of celebrities choose and are satisfied with—without any profit motive. With Exxeselection’s guarantee, world brands come to your doorstep!

He also had a short role in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada. If you’re curious about fashion-themed movies, you can visit our article Perfect Movies Fashion Lovers Won’t Be Able to Take Their Eyes Off for more.

Michael Kors & Capri Holdings

After this big growth, Michael Kors changed the name of the company he founded—by taking on partners—to Capri Holdings, making major reforms in the fashion world. Kors, who tied many world-famous brands to himself, added Jimmy Choo Ltd. to Capri Holdings in 2017.

In 2018, Kors set his sights on Versace—and he succeeded, adding it to his portfolio with a serious figure of around 2 billion dollars.

Capri Holdings currently includes Michael Kors, Versace, and Jimmy Choo under its umbrella.