From Cat Walks To Cat Fights
With fiery hot supermodels, cutthroat competition, and fierce attitudes, you better believe the fashion industry is full of rivalries. Fashion isn't just about clothes; it's about ego, influence, and power. From copyright controversies to personal betrayals, these feuds reveal the drama, ambition, and pure pettiness that's rife in the fashion world. Here are the 20 most famous fashion feuds of all time.
1. Coco Chanel & Elsa Schiaparelli
Perhaps the most famous fashion feud of all time is the one between Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. Both trailblazing women in the fashion world, but with very different styles, the two women reportedly hated each other. The rivalry reached its fiery climax when Chanel allegedly pushed Schiaparelli into a candle arrangement at a costume ball, causing her gown to catch fire.
2. Karl Lagerfeld & Yves Saint Laurent
The feud between Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent is more a difference in professional opinion and style than a personal rivalry. It started with Lagerfeld calling Saint Laurent "overrated" as they both vied for dominance in the luxury fashion world.
Christopher William Adach on Wikimedia
3. Louis Vuitton & Hermès
The rivalry between Louis Vuitton and Hermès stemmed from a years-long legal battle dubbed the "handbag war." Louis Vuitton's parent company, LVMH, quietly accumulated Hermès stocks, which the Hermès family saw as a hostile takeover and took legal action against LVMH. The settlement ended with LVMH redistributing its Hermès stocks to its own shareholders.
4. Coco Chanel & Christian Dior
Coco Chanel and Christian Dior's feud stemmed from their opposing aesthetics; it was Chanel's minimalist, practical clothing against Dior's extravagance. Chanel saw Dior's flamboyant designs as an insult to women and even moved her to come out of retirement at 71.
5. Giorgio Armani & Gianni Versace
Italian fashion moguls Giorgio Armani and Gianni Versace's feud was based on their opposing fashion ideologies, with Versace pushing bold, opulent designs and Armani championing understated sophistication. Their rivalry was fierce, but they never lost respect for each other, and the competition between them spurred each other on.
6. Azzedine Alaïa & Anna Wintour
Not all fashion rivalries are between designers. Shoe designer Azzedine Alaïa began feuding with Anna Wintour, the long-standing editor-in-chief of Vogue, when his work was excluded from the Met Gala, which he felt was a personal snub from Wintour. He responded by calling her "forgettable," to which she retaliated by refusing to feature his work in the magazine for two decades.
7. Philipp Plein & Alexander Wang
In contrast to some of the designers on this list fuding because their fashion philosophies oppose each other, Philipp Plein and Alexander Wang's rivalry stems from their styles being too similar. The conflict between the two began in 2017 after Wang called out Plein on social media for creating a runway show that was far too similar to his 2014 runway set design.
PHILIPP PLEIN International AG on Wikimedia
8. Aquazzura & Ivanka Trump
The feud between Ivanka Trump and Aquazzura started when the Italian footwear brand filed a lawsuit against Trump's company for allegedly plagiarizing one of their signature sandal designs and selling it for far less money. The case was dismissed in 2017 and settled out of court.
Marianique Santos on Wikimedia
9. Anna Wintour & Naomi Campbell
A recent conflict between Anna Wintour and supermodel Naomi Campbell stemmed from an incident at the 2024 Harlem Fashion Row awards, which saw Wintour waiting for Campbell to present her with the Fashion Icon Award. She complained that Campbell was always late and left without presenting the award. Harper's Bazaar's editor-in-chief did it in her stead, which Campbell voiced was her preference anyway.
10. Tyra Banks & Naomi Campbell
The rivalry between Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell was a long-standing feud between two fashion icons. It stemmed from Tyra Banks emerging as a potential threat to Campbell, who was hostile and bullying towards her, but they have since reconciled.
11. Donatella Versace & Giorgio Armani
The Versace vs. Armani feud didn't end with the death of Gianni; it lives on through his sister, Donatella, who carries on the brand and her brother's legacy. The conflict between the two stemmed from a time Armani quoted something Gianni allegedly said to him, which Donatella saw as rude and tasteless. She accused Armani of putting words into her brother's mouth.
12. Karl Lagerfeld & Inès de la Fressange
Karl Lagerfeld and Inès de la Fressange's feud began when Lagerfeld was working for Chanel and hired Fressange as the brand's first exclusive model. Conflict arose when Fressange wanted to pose for Marianne, and Lagerfeld objected. Her contract was broken, and she went on to create her own brand.
13. Cathy Horyn & Hedi Slimane
Fashion critic Cathy Horyn and Hedi Slimane, creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, began feuding in 2012 when Slimane banned her from his fashion shows because of what he perceived as favoritism towards his rival. She continued to write harsh reviews of his collections anyway, based on photographs, further fueling the rivalry.
14. Elle Macpherson & Heidi Klum
Supermodels Elle Macpherson and Heidi Klum began feuding because Klum started using Macpherson's already well-established nickname, "The Body." She also later replaced Macpherson as the face of lingerie company, Bendon, adding fuel to the fire.
15. Kanye West & Nike
In 2009, rapper and music producer Kanye West partnered with Nike to create the Air Yeezy, but behind the scenes, tensions grew over creative control and royalties. Kanye began to openly criticize Nike in the media and eventually left Nike for Adidas, which offered him creative freedom, royalties, and resources, which he used to create his own massively successful YEEZY brand.
16. Dolce & Gabbana & Giorgio Armani
The rivalry between Italian fashion giants Dolce & Gabbana and Giorgio Armani began in 2009 when Dolce & Gabbana released quilted pants that Armani claimed were "identical" to his design. The spat cooled down by itself without any legal action, but it signaled a greater clash between two competing Italian fashion houses of varying styles vying for dominance.
GianAngelo Pistoia on Wikimedia
17. Tory Burch & Chris Burch
Fashion designer Tory Burch started feuding with her ex-husband, entrepreneur Chris Burch, when he launched his own fashion enterprise, C. Wonder, which looked strikingly similar to Tory's. She saw it as an attempt to compete with her company, which he still had significant shares i,n and the two got involved in a highly publicized lawsuit. It finally ended in 2012 with Chris selling his shares and, a few years later, closing C. Wonder's doors.
18. Halston & Studio 54
Iconic fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick and legendary nightclub Studio 54 began partnering in the 1970s, with Halston hosting his fashion shows at the club. However, Halston's increasingly controlling behavior caused the relationship to sour, and this glamorous time quickly faded into nostalgia.
19. Kate Moss & Sienna Miller
The feud between Kat Moss and Sienna Miller is the story of two British It-girls fighting for the spotlight. Moss was already well-established in the fashion industry when Miller came onto the scene, becoming the new face of British fashion, threatening Moss's status. Moss engaged in mocking and bullying behavior behind the scenes.
20. Ralph Rucci & Anna Wintour
Fashion designer Ralph Rucci went head-to-head with Anna Wintour after Vogue editor André Leon Talley's memoir came out, harshly criticizing Wintour, calling her "meaningless." Rucci publicly agreed with Talley's comments, accusing Wintour of being fashion's gatekeeper and having a "satanic plan."
