The Love Stories Behind Your Favorite Designer Couples
From Michèle Lamy and Rick Owens to Deanna Fanning and Kiko Kostadinov.
What makes a power couple? Well, for these fashion designers its business and personal. Despite what they say about never mixing business and pleasure, love is the fuel behind some of fashion’s most well-loved brands.
If you take a look at pop culture’s favorite power couples, they’ve usually amassed great success as individual figures, making their collaboration all the more special. In fashion, there are no limits to these love stories as some of our favorite namesake labels were inspired by lovers, and others, were conceived in partnership.
As if these love stories couldn’t get any sweeter, the greatest commonality amongst most of these designers is that they’re schoolhouse sweethearts. Others, such as FAE Swim founders, Bianca and Adam Bennetts, met on a summer romance leaving much inspo for fellow hopeless romantics.
For a look at our favorite love stories, keep reading.
Ester Manas and Balthazar Delepierre
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How they met: One of the most beloved size-inclusive brands, Manas and Delepierre are a sweet win for schoolhouse sweethearts. The pair met while studying in Brussels and by 2022, won the prestigious title of “Changemaker of the Year” at the Belgian Fashion Awards. However, they surprised clientele when their win led to years of radio silence until their 2024 Paris Fashion Week showcase. The reason? To ensure their business development aligned with women of all sizes. Slay.
Coperni‘s Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant
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How they met: As if their collections weren’t chic enough, their love story is rom-com-esque as these two met at fashion school — in Paris. “It was love at first sight, both personally and professionally,” their website reads. “Sébastien studied Fashion Design and Pattern Making, while Arnaud was into Fashion Business and Management” making for the perfect match.
FAE Swim‘s Bianca and Adam Bennetts
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How they met: In Bali, on a summer romance. Soon, they shared cocktails and plans to build an empire via luxury, sustainable swimwear. Before the pair parted ways from vacation, Bianca began crafting designs in their villa in Seminyak. “Countless samples were produced in Denpasar, and before too long they realized they were onto a special product worthy of taking to the world,” they shared, and “FAE was born.”
Kiko Kostadinov and Deanna Fanning
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How they met: Like most school sweethearts, these two met at a lecture — this one given by the Kim Jones. In true power couple form, Kostadinov leads menswear design while Deanna and her sister Laura co-creative direct womenswear. Talk about a family affair.
Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy
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How they met: She, the owner of Hollywood’s celeb-approved hideout — ahem, coffee shop — and him, a pattern designer. She hired Owens to contribute to her brand Lamy and before they knew it, they were dominating fashion’s most unconventional conversations.
In other news, we have a deepfake porn problem…
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