Top Designer Profiles S/S 2012 : The Designers

Kate and Laura Mulleavy are the determined sisters behind Rodarte (named after their mother's maiden name). Their success reads like a fashion fairy tale- they arrived in New York with a suitcase full of designs back in 2005, managed to show it to a handful of major editors- all of whom fell instantly for their constructed and romantic pieces. Before you knew it they were the toast of the city's fashion elite. Since then they've won endless awards, dressed everyone from Chloe Sevigny to Michelle Obama and topped the wishlists of fashion followers across the globe - not to mention grabbed attention with their beautiful costumes for ballet movie Black Swan.Signature style: Feminine futurism with a dash of drama

History: Fashion’s wunderkind Alexander Wang’s rise has been meteoric. After just one year studying fashion at New York’s Parsons School, he launched his eponymous label and hasn’t looked back since. Two CFDA Designer of The Year nominations later, he is the most coveted young American designer, helped in no small part by an army of celeb fans including Erin Wasson his muse, stylist and best friend. But it’s not just stars who want to be seen in Wang, his label is the go-to for editors and buyers looking for well cut edgy basics like the perfect white tee and just-right leather biker. This has all helped the 24-year-old expand into footwear, accessories and a diffusion line T by Alexander Wang.Signature style: Off-duty model meets Manhattan hipsterBest buy for S/S 2011: The black quilted cape.

History: Ever since Alexander MacQueen's right-hand woman stepped up to fill his shoes following his tragic death, Sarah Burton has triumphed. Not only has she offered up collections that stamp the McQueen DNA with her own femininine slant, wowing the fashion crowd in the process, she also bagged the most coveted job going - designing Kate Middleton's wedding dress - earning herself a place in the history books too.Signature style: Theatre and drama with a wearable, feminine slant.Best buy for A/W 2011: A nude pleated ballet skirt

History: Fashion rebel Marc Jacobs began his career at Perry Ellis where he created his now infamous grunge collection – so shocking he was made redundant in 1993. In 1994 he launched his eponymous label and its sister line Marc by Marc Jacobs where he continues to develop his signature brand of downtown cool. By 1997 he was also appointed creative director of Louis Vuitton, where he designed the first ready-to-wear collection for the brand and successfully revived the accessories range. Jacobs has been known to cause controversy and his own personal style sets tongues wagging – most notably the camel’s foot costume he wore to host his own fancy dress party.Signature style: Park Avenue princess on acidLast season's best buy: Those bunny ears for Louis Vuitton as seen on Madonna.

Since she started her label in 1994, Isabel Marant has been Paris' best kept secret - but now the fashion crowd has caught on. Autumn's leather biker trousers were the most spotted pieces of the season both on the front row and on the A-list (Victoria Beckham, we're looking at you). She's officially the go-to designer for just-edgy-enough wardrobe staples.Signature style: Feminine cool with a heavy dose of French insoucianceBest buy for A/W 2011: The fringed knee-high boots.

Philo is every girl's favourite designer. She was Stella McCartney's right-hand woman at Chloe, before taking up the reins herself and kitting us out with everything we needed, just when we needed it. After briefly stepping away from the fashion limelight she returned triumphant to take up residence as creative director of Celine, and each of her collections has had every style setter furiously making their shopping list. We're itching to see what she has in store for us next.

Signature style: Chic sportswear-influenced minimalism

Best buy for A/W 2011: A pair of two-tone leather and wool trousers.