The 11 richest people in fashion – meet the billionaire brains behind brands from Louis Vuitton to Nike, Gucci to Uniqlo, Zara and H&M
Giorgio Armani made impeccable suits, Tadashi Yanai brought basics to Japan and Stefan Persson became the king of fast fashion: now they’re fashion’s wealthiest moguls
Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Uniqlo, H&M and Gucci are all names that we hear, desire and wear every day (if we’re lucky). But someone, somewhere, started those brands and grew them into the labels we know today. Collectively, it’s these entrepreneurs and creatives that have turned fashion into a US$2.5 trillion global industry – and made them unimaginably rich in the process.
Curious to know who comes out on top? So were we, so read on to find out who the 11 wealthiest individuals in the fashion industry are, who takes the number one spot, and how they did it.
11. Giorgio Armani (US$8.5 billion)
Founder Giorgio Armani is the sole shareholder of the Armani Empire, which reaches into everything from haute couture to sportswear, beauty, restaurants, interior design, hotels and resorts, and ready-to-wear fashion, among others. Starting his journey in 1975, Giorgio Armani has rightly earned the title as one of the most successful designers in the history of his home country, Italy.
10. Heinrich Deichmann (US$9.5 billion)
The brand Deichmann has become the largest footwear retailer in Europe. What began as a cobbler’s shop started by Heinrich Deichmann’s grandfather in Germany in 1913 has since turned into a billion-dollar business. The CEO often engages in charitable works with programmes that bring medical aid to developing countries and support the homeless.
