fashion companies

A self-taught fashion designer, Claiborne founded her company with her husband Art Ortenberg, Leonard Boxer, Jerome Chazen in 1976. Within a decade, the clothing company became a billion-dollar business. That type of growth is a testament to just how great and rewarding the world of fashion can be.

Another of the many top women in fashion is Donna Karen, founder of DKNY (Dona Karen New York). The DKNY name commands great respect in the fashion world and in 2006, the privately owned company reported earnings of $1.2 billion. The company's 2007 sale projections are expected to stay steady at around the 1.2 billion-dollar mark. It should be noted that some companies partner with others to achieve their high financial earnings. For example, DKNY Jeans and DKNY Active are partnered brands of Liz Clairborne, Inc.

In 1967, fashion icon Calvin Klein graced the industry with his presence. Since then, Calvin Klein has become a household name. Another designer to use apt marketing strategy the Calvin Klein Company has also hit the billion-dollar mark. In 1980, Klein pushed the envelope with his Jeans ad where a young Brooke Shields stated, "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins." Since then, the sentiment has been true for many. By 1996 Calvin Klein company surpassed $3 billion in sales worldwide, and by fiscal-year 2006, its subsidiary, Calvin Klein Jeans Wear Co., hit $90 million in sales. Just as Hilfiger sold his company to Apex, Calvin Klein sold his brand to the Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, the largest shirt maker in the United States. According to industry financial reports, the Calvin Klein Company was sold for $400 million dollars in cash and $30 million in stocks.

The fashion industry is not limited to clothing. It also includes accessories and shoes. The cosmetics industry is different yet closely related market that cannot be overlooked when discussing fashion. Many designers, such as Chanel for example, branch their brands out to include cosmetic and fragrance lines, and for many consumers, cosmetics are just as important to their overall sense of fashion and style as clothing, shoes and accessories. The Estée Lauder Company has held on to its market share for quite some time. Estée Lauder sales for fiscal year 2007 were reported at $7 billion dollars. For the year, that figure breaks down to approximately $19.2 million per day. The company's sales were up 9 percent from its recorded 2006 earnings of $6.46 billion, which shows just how much the cosmetics industry parallels the fashion industry.