Many fashion designers opt for black separates in cotton, jersey and other breathable fabrics. The choice of black is significant for many reasons. In an environment that values a thin figure, black is visually slimming, especially as a monochromatic ensemble. Black also complements all colors without competing with them, so the designer's outfit will not pull attention from the designs he sends down the runway. Finally, black shows stains and wear less easily, ensuring that the designer looks fresh and chic no matter how long they've been wearing the same clothes. Designers who have favored all-black ensembles include Vera Wang and Donna Karan.
Every season, fashion designers send bold and innovative collections down the runway, championing different aesthetics with each one. However, many designers themselves stick to the same basic uniform season after season. Michael Kors is infamous for his uniform of blue jeans, a black crew-neck T-shirt and a black sports coat. Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz is known for wearing a suit accessorized with an oversized, floppy bow tie and rectangular black glasses. Diane von Furstenburg can immediately be recognized by her mane of curly brown hair and is usually spotted in a jersey wrap dress of her own design. Karl Lagerfeld, the head designer of Chanel, is typically photographed in black jeans, a white collared shirt and a black blazer, accessorizing his look with black Ray-Bans and fingerless gloves.
While designers may leave audiences gasping over the glamour of their work, many artists choose a far less polished aesthetic for themselves. Male designers tend toward the unkempt, with artists like Carlos Miele and Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa preferring rumpled blue jeans, a white crew-neck T-shirt and a wrinkled Oxford shirt with rolled-up sleeves. The exact opposite of these disheveled designers are divas such as Carolina Herrera, who is never seen in anything that isn't polished and pulled together. Herrera herself prefers pencil or trumpet skirts paired with immaculately pressed white or black cotton blouses, accessorized with pumps and pearls.
While most designers wear styles found in ordinary closets and department stores, there are some designers who prefer that their own wardrobes be as spectacular as their runway creations. During John Galliano's stint at Christian Dior, the controversial designer gained fame for his outré clothing, from the astronaut-inspired space suit he wore at the end of his 2006 Paris Haute Couture show to Victorian-inspired ensembles of heavily beaded frock coats, velvet breeches and top hats ringed with fresh daisies. Vivienne Westwood, the British mother of punk-rock fashion, is known for her eccentric style, often appearing in piles of jewelry, dramatic capes and clothing inscribed with political messages.