Karl Lagerfeld

Tall starched white collar, black suit, fingerless leather gloves, dark glasses, powdered white ponytail A uniform built as armor rather than convenience. Lagerfeld called his public image a mask, and every piece of it was chosen to be read from across a room: the high collar, the black tailoring, the gloves with the fingers cut away, the sunglasses that hid his eyes. Even the ponytail had a practical origin; he said he tied his curly hair back because it was the easiest hairdo. He also changed his body to fit his clothes, losing weight in 2001 so he could wear Hedi Slimane's slim Dior Homme suits. The result was a silhouette so recognizable it now works as shorthand for the fashion designer in general.