STYLE ICONS VS FASHION ICONS

Creating fashion is about trends & trade. Creating style is about stories, passion, art, a creative lifestyle and expression. Creating aesthetics is about beauty, goodness, admiration, romantics and love.

The pleasure of dressing well is a true art, but to start with: "The definition of fashionable, hip and stylish are 3 different concepts, so there are also 3 different ways of expressing your total look". And in the end it always comes down around the total picture.

The term style icon is often confused with the term fashion icon. The term style icon is also wrongly misused to quickly call a well-known person from the media a style icon when this person coincidentally is fascinated by fashion and fashion brands. Someone is absolutely not a style icon if this person happens to really like to appear on TV and loves fashion or spends a lot of money on fashion brands. 

As far as we are concerned, a style icon is an exceptional person who has the innate talent to look authentically stylish at any time and is generally associated with it as such by others. A natural born style icon is often representative of a certain style, can be trendsetting with a new style or can be unique due to a personal authentic style that has no imitators. There are only a handful of true style icons in each country. Style icons also often have the gift of being an artist or designer.

A history and a particular status of style or fashion reflect a culture. This can be confirmed by looking at the iconic Piazza San Giovanni n the historical center of Florence. Including the elegant Baptistery it's a perfect example of beautiful and stylish iconic buildings that have arisen around this famous square since 1200 AD. Special architecture in a special environment, created from a fusion of beautiful stories from the past.

Nowadays, when we talk about the eleven most influential architects, we are talking about: Antonio Gaudi, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, Santiago Calatrava, Le Corbusier, Friedenreich Hundertwasser, Norman Foster, Philip Johnson, Jørn Utzon, Victor Horta, Winy Maas. To conclude: "There are also a few living artworks still walking around in society today. These are very often Society figures, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are style icons". 
Well-known names in Amsterdam are Mathilde Willink, Petra Heyboer, Aynouk Tan.

Winy Maas has great influence and means a lot in the field of architecture but is a typical Dutch designer. The most eclectic stylish buildings in the Netherlands, such as The Valley Towers, originate from ideas of this urban architect, Winy Maas. Wonderfully inspiring and beautiful to see how he erects one leading stylish buildings after another. The only thing that really bothers us about this idiosyncratic designer is that he forgot to upgrade himself, during his beautiful architectural journey. His teeth, his hairstyle, his grubby unshaven head and his clothes look completely out of place. Neglected and unkempt. And that crappy bike he uses to get around a big city is also hideous and ugly to look at. It is a particularly strange sensation to see that so much attention can be paid to all those prestigious, aesthetically beautiful architectural buildings, but that as a man of good taste he completely fails to show his personal value to himself and his body.

When we talk about the most influential style icon, we often mean a person who can set both inspiration and trends based on natural passion for his own identity. But when we talk about a fashion icon, we often mean a person who continuously uses luxury and high fashion brands and labels for his own image.

Coco Chanel is one of the most famous fashion icons in Europe. She had found a way to synthesize the true essence of fashion and developed a way to turn fashion into her image. In addition, she was well aware that “fashion changes, but true style endures”.

Coco Chanel is also called the queen of fashion. She focused mainly on elegance in her hometown Paris.

Forced by necessity to earn money, a certain multi-faceted lady from Italy, 
Elsa Luisa Maria Schiaparelli entered the sweater-fashion-industry through her well-known networks in London, but in retrospect we can call her a fashion icon.

Following a detour via Nice she also moved to Paris shortly after the start of Coco and became by happenstance one of the most creative fashion designers of the twenties and thirties of the 20th century. Schiaparelli was enormously inspired by visual arts and was essentially a special Italian woman who naturally had a great sense of style and originality.

She had not yet acquired much knowledge of fashion. However, she quickly realized that fashion was more than just fashionable clothing and textiles. She was the first woman who managed to bring together stylish sportswear, artistic textiles, sensual poetry, interior objects, golden accessories, opulent jewelry, items from nature, sex appeal and hard lines in the fashion scene. For that reason, she was also the first to bring together creatives from all kinds of disciplines for her couture collections in the high fashion scene.
 
At one point it was again an Italian stylist, with the name Giorgio Armani, also a fashion icon, who put men's suits and men's sweaters completely sophisticated on the map in the 1970s. Classical was given a modern & contemporary twist with new technology in textiles and modern fabrics. He once started out as a window dresser / stylist at a large department store in Milan. Also he was the very first Italian stylist, which managed to put style and timeless elegance on the map with both a coherence and innovation connection. G.A. was a household name for a very long time. These days, there are dozens of labels that rival him.

His stylish pursuit at that time was to design timeless, elegant fashion. Italy's most successful designer for over 50 years, who, after studying photography, opened his first boutique-fashion house in 1975 in Milan and was then able to quickly open also a branch in the US. Enormous respect for this man, who has now passed the age of 90 and has recently ventured into serious dress watches, in addition to all other activities. Very right, because not only shoes, but also watches can make or break your outfit if there is not a good match.
 
Here too, the Armani label continues to predominate when it comes to the pursuit of beauty, the passion for perfection with an emphasis on timelessness, aesthetics, craftsmanship, high quality, luxury, comfort and elegance.

Giorgio Armani's fantastic suits, shirts, and ties were put on the map worldwide, thanks in part to the epic film "American Gigolo." Giorgio was one of the greatest superheroes and a multi-talented figure in menswear, and passed away in 2025 at the respectable, beautiful age of 91. A tribute to Giorgio Armani, too. We had the privilege of meeting him once and attending a few fashion shows. When I was just six years old, my neighbors gave me an Armani sweater. This was our very first encounter with what was then the world's largest men's label. He meant so much to menswear and is widely thanked and praised for his legacy.
 
There have been an incredible number of well-known and lesser-known designers, some of which are still alive. We would also like to pay a tribute to Yves Saint Laurent's originality, complexity and authenticity when it comes to men's fashion. He was a style icon and made it possible for men to combine straight, wide trouser legs with the most iconic, artistic ankle boots in a wearable and very stylish way. 

The biggest source of inspiration for
"TFM - Brands" are Ralph Lifshitz (= Ralph Lauren - Black Label), Tom Ford Men's Fashion & sunglasses, and Rolex Vintage. Ralph Lauren known for the introduction of the expansion of a wide choice in ties and the fabulous, timeless, elegant Preppy Style. Tom Ford known for his famous start at Gucci and his high-quality next level styling of Tom Frod sunglasses, suits and shoes. And when it comes to true style, accessories and sunglasses are undeniable details. He really knows how it works.

Rolex is king of versatility. The most succesful of all watches such as the handcrafted golden Day-Date vintage design. 

Many amazing musicians also have a great sense of fashion, style and Avant-garde looks equipped with the absolute best accessories like rolex watches and sunglasses from luxury brands like Issey Miyake, Gucci, Christian Dior, Prada and of course again Tom Ford, the style icon. We really have to mention Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Prince and Miles Davis , they were all style icons. This man, Davis knew how to pick the most iconic sunglasses for his avant-garde style. He treated fashion and sunglasses like the sound of creative music: bold, evolving and deeply personal. He was a great musician who constantly reinvented himself musically with a wardrobe to match. Davis used clothing to challenge, provoke and reinvent. Miles Davis is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.


An ode to Jean-Michel Basquiat [1960-1988]
Basquiat "the epitome of pure style in the 1980's" was known for his original eclectic style from a very young age, often blending high-end fashion with streetwear. One of the most important innovative artists of the 20th century. An iconic figure within the cultural movement of exchange, who also wore clothing in his own way with a blend of cultural influences and true style. His art can be called raw and expressive. This in combination of various elements. Today we see this extraordinary style strolling in Florence and Paris. Creating a distinctive preppy look that captivated the art and fashion worlds.

Basquiat was a great multi-talented and trendsetting artist. With that kind of skills he was a truly stylish young man with an era-defining legacy.

In 2017, a 1982 Basquiat artwork sold for US$110.5 million, making his art one of the most expensive and valuable in the world ever.

Being original, authentic, happy and creative is everything. But without passion, health and being yourself, nothing will happen.

Those who dress better or more stylishly are usually multi-talented and trendsetting at the same time.

Basquiat's creative style is proof that the
age-old adage still holds true: "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken". 

Andy Warhol and Karl Lagerfeld were close friends with Basquiat. Together, they shaped modern art. Karl Lagerfeld ultimately became one of the finest versatile designers and style icons of his time. He started out as a stylist with Gabrielle Hanoka-Aghion. Like many other talented stylists/designers, he had the opportunity—in his case, for 15 years—to develop into one of the greatest designers of the postmodern era. Together, they coined "Avant-garde Fashion." Gaby was her nickname. She was one of the few successful female fashion designers and the founder of the French fashion house Chloé. She is credited with coining the term prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear). She was the very first designer to sell ready-made clothing with a luxurious edge. She was unparalleled in her ability to combine craftsmanship with everyday clothing.

Ultimately, it was the American Daniel R. Day, ["Dapper Dan"] the iconic high-fashion designer and style pioneer who turned luxury fashion and custom fasshion on its head and stitched his name into luxury streetwear swagger. He is now officially partnered with LV and Gucci, receiving long-overdue recognition as the godfather of luxury streetwear. 

Around the same time, Ozwald Boateng, an English fashion designer / fashion icon, made waves as Creative Director at almost all the major luxury fashion houses. He is best known for his distinctive interpretation of classic tailoring and bespoke styles and has long owned a luxury men's boutique on Savile Row, the world's most famous bespoke tailoring street.


An ode to Andrée Putman
[1925-2013]
Andrée Putman is one of the best-known ambassadors of modern eclectic style [1930 - present] in the field of art, eclectic interior design, fashion and music. A multi-talented stylist with a great interest in the essence of style, eclecticism and already existing basic elements.

A woman who could best express her unborn creative instincts and enormous vision for composition in the design, styling and decoration in the world of interior and fashion.

She was confident enough to dare to express herself fully as she felt. She is known for never sketching her brilliant styling and designs on paper in advance, but always turning them out masterfully, geometrically speaking.

In addition, she was the very first person on earth to ensure that exceptionally good fashion designers, as well as art and style, became accessible to a larger audience from that period onwards. The great thing about her is: she refused to redesign pieces and objects that had already been perfectly designed by others in the past. She gave it a slightly new shape or mixed them into one whole design. 

Comparative iconic women in history of that caliber are Coco Chanel and Iris Apfel. Although they started moving more on the business side. In contrast, Iris was slightly more artistically oriented and Andrée emphasized refined elegance and minimalism. But the most important difference is that they were 'gifted fashion icons' and Andrée was a 'authentic style icon'.
 
For Andrée, creating her intrinsic style was more based on a sense of perfect taste and sincere intuition with a lot of cool or strong accents and a more philosophical attitude. We would rather compare her with brilliant style icons such as Karl Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent and
Chistian Dior, but Dior was more specifically a fashion icon.

Another fashion icon, the Godmother of Fashion, and one of the last remaining influential figures in the fashion industry is and remains Bethann Hardison. In 1967, she was discovered by a designer named
Willi Donnell Smith. She later taught the fashion world to rethink the definition of aesthetics and thus had the opportunity to educate white people about the goodness and beauty of diversity. Ultimately, she was honored with a 2003 Lifetime Achievement award. In 2012, she received a Woman of Power Legacy Award and a CFDA Founders Award.
 
Bethann owed a lot to Stephen Burrows [a partner of Willi Smith], for whom she was allowed to walk her first show as the first black performing supermodel ever. At one point, she also became the very first Black person to establish a modeling agency for Black supermodels, for both men and women.

Stephen Burrows was the best and youngest American designer of his time. He was also one of the most creative designers who dared to challenge conventional fashion. He also regularly used black models. Burrows studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, then began work in the New York City's Garment Center, alternately managing his own businesses and working closely with luxury department store Henri Bendel. He is also known for being one of the first African-American fashion designers to sell internationally and develop a mainstream, high-fashion clientele. His garments, known for their bright colors and "lettuce hem" curly-edges, became an integral part of the
"Fun City" - New York; a disco-dancing scene of the 1970's.
 
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About the special and lovely Iris Apfel. She was also a great example of a beautiful and, above all, versatile woman, who was mainly known for her artistic [luxury] fashion & interior design appearance.

On the eve of her 100th birthday in 2021, interior designer and fashion icon Iris Apfel has been named the winner of the Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes Apfel’s singular vision and colorful career as she continues to shape the zeitgeist. It is the highest accolade among The Créateurs Design Awards, which celebrate the best-in-class makers and innovators from around the world who are pushing design, fashion and style forward.

Iris Apfel was the embodiment of the expression 'you look so gorgeous you'd put your eyes on it'.  Translated into Dutch as: prachtig als een plaatje... of beeldschoon om door een ringetje te halen. And as Iris Apfel once said; the biggest fashion flaw is looking in the mirror and not seeing yourself. 

And then in the present day there is still a living legend who we have called a 'cultural icon' for 40 years. Again, it is about a woman. She is one of the most powerful women in fashion. Her name is, of course, Anna Wintour. She proves that at the age of 75, a woman can still look damn beautiful, attractive and stylish at the same time.

To conclude with Andrée Putman:
“Unless you have a feeling for that secret knowledge that modest things can be more beautiful than anything expensive, you will never have style.”
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An ode to Puck&Hans
Puck Kroon and Hans Kemmink
[Hans Kemmink 1947-2022]
When we talk about the development of style, good taste and the phenomenon of fashion in the fashion history of the Benelux, for both men and women, in our opinion Puck&Hans have the upper hand. They were unparalleled, leading pioneers and the very first most distinctive clothing boutique and high fashion brand in the Benelux when they launched their concept. Before that, everyone was boring and the same.

Compared with Andy Warhol, [the legend in the field of art] Puck Kroon integrated high art into high fashion. This was also possible given her background as a visual artist and her amazing fresh taste. Both in the street scene and on special occasions. Fashion & Style only came to people with a special taste with or via the music and entertainment world. Think of the pop culture of yesteryear [from 1965 - 1999]. 

Later, their collection was also displayed in New York, with beautiful fabrics from France and India. A mix media of cultural influences and high art. And stood for a mix of art, style, fashion, classics and an avant-garde lifestyle with a good eye for detail. They were far ahead of their time and made international famous with their daring, hip clothing and the psychedelic window displays of their stores.

Viktor&Rolf [fashion icons] more or less made this concept flow, but then completely in their own way with a twist of the artisanal Haute Couture in Paris. Frans Molenaar had already launched the same concept in Amsterdam a little earlier. Only people from the music and fashion world managed to find their high fashion labels, as that group of people knew best what the value and power of clothing can be and that clothing is therefore also very important.


An ode to Willi Smith 
[Februari 29, 1948-1987]
Willi Donnell Smith was a great American fashion designer. At the time of his death, Smith was regarded as one of the most successful African-American designers in the fashion industry. His company WilliWear was the first clothing company to create womenswear and menswear under the same label. The accessibility and affordability of Smith's clothing helped to democratize fashion.

Smith's legacy was to be one of the first American designers to create clothing inspired by and for everyday people and what they wore on city streets – making his sportswear a bridge to commercial streetwear. Smith also sourced natural fabrics from India for his collections. The designer blurred the lines of gendered fashion in American sportswear with garments created for both his Men's and Women's collections. He sought not to target an exclusive clientele with his work, but instead to ensure that his clothing could be worn by people from varied backgrounds. Smith's label set the stage for later streetwear brands.

All the famous names mentioned in above stories could easily translate haute couture into functionally wearable outfits. Both for men and women. Clothing & Style is important for how you feel or for what exactly you are going to do at that moment. If you feel happy, it is often reflected in your way of dressing and overall appearance. If you understand that, we can talk. 

If it really turns out that you have good taste and at the same time you have achieved your own style and an above-average status, then why not show it off.

Whoever you are: "Get the shine forever and let the style you really love receive the experience and attention it deserves".
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