Personal life

Kors was born Karl Anderson, Jr. on Long Island, New York, the son of Joan Hamburg, a former model, and her first husband, Karl Anderson, Sr, a college student. His mother remarried Bill Kors when he was five, and his surname was changed to Kors. His mother told him that he could choose a new first name as well; subsequently he renamed himself Michael David Kors. He grew up in Merrick, New York and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, New York. Kors' mother is Jewish and his father was of Swedish descent. Kors married his partner, Lance Le Pere, on August 16, 2011.

Career

Kors' affinity for fashion started when he was very young. His mother thought it might have had to something to do with the fact that he was exposed to the apparel industry through her modeling career. Michael, at the age of 5, even redesigned his mother's wedding dress for her second marriage. As a teen, Kors began designing clothes and selling them out of his parents' basement, which he renamed the Iron Butterfly. In 1977, he enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. However, he dropped out after only nine months and took a job at a boutique across from Bergdorf Goodman on 57th Street, where he was given a small space to sell his designs. Shortly after, Dawn Mello, the fashion director at Bergdorf, discovered Kors. She asked if he would show his collection to Bergdorf Goodman's buyers and he has had his collection ever since. In 1981, Kors launched the Michael Kors womenswear line at Bloomingdale's, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. In 1990, the company launched KORS Michael Kors. A bankruptcy in 1993 forced him to discontinue the KORS line for a time. He managed to get back on his feet by 1997 and launched a lower priced line and at the same time was named the first women’s ready-to-wear designer for French house Celine. In his tenure at Celine, Kors turned the fashion house around with successful accessories and a critically acclaimed ready-to-wear line. Kors left Celine in October 2003 to concentrate on his own brand. Kors launched his menswear line in 2002.

The MICHAEL Michael Kors and KORS Michael Kors lines were launched in 2004, joining the original Michael Kors Collection label. The MICHAEL Michael Kors line includes women's handbags and shoes as well as women's ready-to-wear apparel. Currently, Kors has Collection boutiques in New York, Beverly Hills, Palm Beach and Chicago. As of the end of the first fiscal quarter in 2016, Kors has over 770 Lifestyle stores around the world. The year 2011 marked the 30th anniversary of Kors' business.

Among the celebrities who have worn Kors' designs are Olivia Wilde, Dakota Johnson, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift, Kate Middleton, Lily Aldridge, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Rachel McAdams, Elissa, Heidi Klum, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Michelle Obama wore a black sleeveless dress from the designer for her first term official portrait as First Lady and later sported Kors again at the 2015 State of the Union address. Joan Allen wore his gown when she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the The Contender. Jennifer Garner wore a custom creation as an Academy Award presenter in 2006. As creative director of Celine, Kors designed many outfits for actresses to wear on screen, including Gwyneth Paltrow in Possession; and Rene Russo in The Thomas Crown Affair. One of his gowns was worn by Alicia Keys for her performance at Barack Obama's inaugural ball on January 21, 2013.

The ad campaigns for Kors, shot by Mario Testino, often reflect the jet-set sportswear that his fans like. Previous campaigns include the model Carmen Kass on a safari in Africa and relaxing on a yacht. More recent campaigns feature models Karmen Pedaru and Natasha Poly living the jet set lifestyle.

Kors was a judge on the Emmy-nominated reality television program Project Runway, which aired on Bravo for five seasons; subsequent seasons aired on Lifetime. On December 18, 2012, it was announced that Kors would be leaving Project Runway, to be replaced by fellow designer Zac Posen.

In January 2014, Forbes reported that Kors now has a personal fortune in excess of $1billion, making him the latest fashion industry billionaire. Michael Kors Holdings had already “minted two billionaires”: Silas Chou and Lawrence Stroll.

Other honors

In 2015, Kors was named a Global Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme. That same year, God’s Love We Deliver dedicated the Michael Kors Building at the non-profit’s new SoHo headquarters in honor of Kors’ ongoing support. In 2013, Kors was selected for The Time 100, the magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. He also made the New York Observer's list of the 100 Most Influential New Yorkers, under the fashion category. Kors was honored by The Couture Council of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) with the 2013 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion. Kors was named to Out magazine’s 2014 Power 50 List. In 2013, Kors presented Hillary Rodham Clinton with the first-ever Michael Kors Award for Outstanding Community service. In 2012, Kors was honored with the Golden Heart Lifetime Achievement Award by God's Love We Deliver, a non-profit organization that distributes fresh meals to people living with HIV/AIDS and other diagnoses, which he has been involved with for over 20 years. In 2010, Kors received the Oliver R. Grace Award for Distinguished Service in Advancing Cancer Research, an annual honor bestowed by the Cancer Research Institute, a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing immune system-based treatments for cancer. In 2010, Kors was the youngest recipient ever of the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and received the Fragrance Foundation’s FiFi Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Legal issues

In January 2009, the estate of the artist-designer Tony Duquette sued Kors for trademark infringement after Kors allegedly used Duquette's name and images in promoting Kors' 2009 resortwear collection.

In July 2013, he became the second luxury brand, after Tiffany & Co, to sue Costco for falsely claiming in advertisements that they sold his product.

In December 2014, a former Michael Kors employee filed a potential class-action lawsuit against the apparel retailer, alleging the company did not calculate overtime properly or afford employees proper meal breaks.

In popular culture

Kors was referenced in the film The Devil Wears Prada by Meryl Streep's character Miranda Priestly. In the scene, Priestly sweeps into her office and gives a list of instructions to her personal assistant (Emily Blunt). Priestly says, "RSVP 'yes' to Michael Kors' party and I want the driver to drop me off at 9:30 and pick me up at 9:45 sharp".

Kors is also mentioned in Big Sean's song "Dance" by Nicki Minaj. Drake also mentions Michael Kors in his song "From Time", and rapper Pusha T in his song "Numbers on the Boards". Additionally, Kors guest starred as himself in a Fashion Week themed episode of the hit teen show Gossip Girl; the same show that repeatedly showcases several pieces from his collections.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]