Christopher Bailey

Christopher Bailey

In 2001, Christopher Bailey, 29, assumed the post of creative director at Burberry. A veteran of Donna Karan and Gucci, where he'd spent over five years as a womenswear designer under Tom Ford, Bailey was faced with the challenge of forging a hip and fashion-forward identity for the 150-year-old British company known for its sturdy coats and tartan plaid.Enlivening the timeless classics of Burberry's past with the punky vibe of London street fashion, Bailey set to work on the Burberry Prorsum ready-to-wear collection. The outerwear is still there, but the traditional trenchcoat might be rendered in silvery metallic brocade, ivory leather, or black emblazoned with metal studs. As for the trademark, oft-copied Burberry check, it crops up occasionally on the edging of a bikini or a handbag—supersized, distressed, or in an unexpected color like green. (The standard plaid is still found all over the umbrellas, golf gloves, and luggage in the retail stores, but it's been banned from the runway.)

Bailey tends to work in monochromatic neutrals instead—black, brown, and gray for fall; white and khaki for spring—but adds unexpected flourishes such as tiers of feathers or ruched chiffon.Fashion critics have deemed Bailey's image overhaul a success. Style.com's Sarah Mower writes that turning "the frumpy old country lady's Burberry into a fashionable thing" is "something of a cause for national pride in Britain."

The public agrees: Burberry's profits have skyrocketed since Bailey's arrival.The son of a carpenter and store display designer, Bailey grew up in working-class Halifax. He currently lives in London, where he oversees the Burberry empire, but keeps a country house in Yorkshire.