Actors Who Direct

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1. Angelina Jolie
She’s an actress, mother, UN Ambassador and a world-wide sex symbol. Well, now Angelina Jolie can add director to her lost list of accomplishments. In the Land of Blood and Honey had the actress directing in both English and the language of the former Yugoslavia. “We actually shot a full version in their native language and we shot a full version in English,” Jolie told a Hungarian news outlet. Okay, now she’s just showing off.

2. Ben Affleck
For a guy who was once one half of “Bennifer,” Ben Affleck has carved out a pretty impressive directing career for himself. He directed both Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) and Jeremy Renner (The Town) to Oscar nominations in supporting actor categories. Affleck is currently directing and starring in Argo, a film about the CIA resuce of six U.S. embassy workers in Iran.

3. Madonna
Madonna’s directorial debut W.E., which is loosely based on the affair bewteen King Edward VIII and American divorcee Wallis Simpson, was panned by critics when it premiered at Cannes this summer (one critic called it “extraordinarily silly”). Maybe it’s time for Madge to go back to the stuff that made her famous in the first place: making music.

4. George Clooney
It’s not enough for George Clooney to be incredibly good looking and to date the world’s hottest women. He’s also proved himself to be a pretty solid director with films like Leatherheads, Good Night & Good Luck, and the upcoming Ides of March. If we ever get reincarnated, we want to come back as George Clooney.

5. Clint Eastwood
It’s been a long time since Dirty Harry muttered the iconic line, “Go ahead, make my day,” but Clint Eastwood hasn’t been resting on his gruff laurels. He’s directed many critically acclaimed films like Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, and Gran Torino. With two Best Director Oscars under his belt, Clint seems to know what he’s doing. Up next: J. Edgar with Leonardo DiCaprio.

6. Kevin Costner
His star has been slowly fading over the years, so it’s easy to forget that Kevin Costner once won an Academy Award for his directing work on Dances with Wolves (which also won the Oscar for Best Picture). Then again, he also won a few Razzies for directing Waterworld and The Postman, so the jury’s still out on Costner’s directing skills.

7. Jodie Foster
She’s been acting in front of the camera since she was 5-years-old, so it makes sense that Jodie Foster would eventually want to try her hand at directing. Little Man Tate was cute and Home for the Holidays was watchable, but The Beaver was just…weird.

8. Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson recently spiraled out of control in a series of very public meltdowns that involved a DUI arrest (complete with anti-semitic remarks) and a slew of horrible phone tirades against ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. But back in the day Gibson was also known for something else: directing movies. He won an Oscar for directing Braveheart and scored a worldwide hit with The Passion of the Christ.

9. Sean Penn
When he’s not building homes in Haiti or having a fling with Scarlett Johansson, Sean Penn is busy directing films like Into the Wild. Fun fact: he also directed a documentary called Bruce Springsteen: The Complete Video Anthology 1978-2000. Who knew that Penn was a fan of The Boss?

10. Ben Stiller
We can thank Ben Stiller for “Blue Steel” on a variety of different levels — he not only played the iconic idiot model Zoolander, he also directed the film! Stiller also helmed the indie cult-hit Reality Bites, The Cable Guy, and Tropic Thunder.

11. Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore used to be a wild child (remember when she flashed David Letterman on live TV?), but in recent years she’s calmed down enough to produce hits like Never Been Kissed, Charlie’s Angels, and Donnie Darko (who knew?). Barrymore also gave directing a go with Whip It, which explored the rough and tumble world of roller derby.

12. Tom Hanks
We know there’s no crying in baseball, but do you think there’s any crying when Tom Hanks sits in the director’s chair? Hanks first directed the boppy That Thing You Do!, then later went on to direct the TV mini-series Band of Brothers. Most recently he directed himself and Julia Roberts in Larry Crowne.

13. Denzel Washington
He’s got an Oscar and a Tony (half-way to an EGOT!), along with a bunch of other acting awards, but that hasn’t stopped Denzel Washington from trying his hand at directing. With only Antwone Fisher (2002) and The Great Debators (2007) under his belt, it’s a little early to tell whether Denzel should be giving up his day job.

15. Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, & Demi Moore
Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, and Demi Moore all came together to direct Lifetime TV’s Five, which is an anthology of five short films that explore the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives. Serious subject matter for a directorial debut, but it’s great to see these ladies using their star power to promote women’s health issues.

from Steve Jobs

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1 Skate to Where the Puck is Going to Be

In 2007, Steve Jobs said, “There’s an old Wayne Gretzky quote that I love. ‘I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.’ And we’ve always tried to do that at Apple. Since the very, very beginning. And we always will.”

Steve’s ability to anticipate future trends helped Apple dominate now-burgeoning markets like digital music sales (through the iPod and iTunes Store).

1955 21 Life Lessons from Steve Jobs

2 Accentuate the Positive

Steve started life out on the wrong foot. He was given up for adoption at birth because his mother had wanted a daughter.

Tough break? Young Jobs didn’t think so: he was thankful for his loving adoptive parents — who happened to live in Palo Alto, California (which would eventually become Silicon Valley).

3 Learn from Others

In high school, Jobs attended lectures at a small computer technology company called Hewlett-Packard. Before turning 21, Steve had worked for both HP and Atari. He saw what these companies were doing and learned what he wanted to do differently with Apple.

4 Start Early

Because Steve was still a sponge-brained teenager when he started working with computers, he learned quickly.

It also helps that he started Apple in his early 20’s: when he was still full of energy, fresh ideas, and not yet restrained by a family or career.

5 College is Important…

At its best, higher education challenges us to make connections and solve problems.

Jobs credits a college calligraphy course for part of the Macintosh’s development:

“If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.”
6 …But it’s Not Necessary

Reed University was expensive and Jobs didn’t want to drain his parents’ savings. If Jobs hadn’t dropped out, he would have been a junior in 1975. He co-founded Apple Computer that year instead.

travel 21 Life Lessons from Steve Jobs

7 Travel the World

The year before he founded Apple, Jobs journeyed to India. Travel has a way of broadening a person’s perspective and expanding their sense of what’s possible – good traits in an entrepreneur.
#8 Surround Yourself with Good People

Steve Jobs wasn’t a great computer engineer. Apple would have had no chance if Jobs was the only one building the computers. That’s why he recruited Steve Wozniak.

Through the years, Jobs’ companies have blossomed thanks to the brilliant people he’s brought on board – like Apple CEO Tim Cook and Pixar CCO (Chief Creative Officer) John Lasseter.

9 Expect Greatness

People tend to rise to expectations.

10 Fake it Before You Make it

In Apple’s early days, Steve recognized that Palo Alto, California was the epicenter of innovative computer technology. Steve wanted his company to be associated with this place – but Apple was still headquartered out of a garage in nearby Los Altos.

Jobs’ solution was to set up a PO Box in Palo Alto and hire a voice answering service. A potential client would get the impression that Apple was a big company in the heart of Silicon Valley – even though the truth was that it was still just two sweaty guys in a garage across town.

11 Obstacles are meant to be Overcome

Jobs and Wozniak ran out of money while developing the first Apple computer. Instead of giving in, Jobs sold his van and Wozniak sold his graphing calculator. When there’s a will, there’s a way.

12 Don’t Value Money

As CEO of Apple, Jobs earned $1 a year. Jobs wasn’t incentivized by his salary, but by his own unrelenting pursuit of excellence. (Then again, his expansive stock holdings may have been some incentive.)
#13 Value People

Jobs hired passionate people and cultivated exceptional company cultures at both Apple and Pixar – and their work speaks for itself.
14 Take Risks

Jobs was willing to cannibalize his company’s products in the name of progress. Many CEOs would have been hesitant to develop the iPhone, knowing full well that it would help to make the iPod obsolete – but Jobs did it anyway (and took a big bite out of the lucrative mobile market).

steve pen 150×150 21 Life Lessons from Steve Jobs

Don’t be afraid to take risks. Especially smart ones.

15 Create a Personal Brand

Steve Jobs was one of the first people to recognize the growing importance of personal brands in the Internet age. His black turtleneck is as instantly recognizable as the Apple logo.

16 Have a Higher Purpose

Buddha said, “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”

Jobs has turned his vision into reality since he began practicing Buddhism in the 1970’s.

17 Find the Right Partner

There is no more important decision in your life than the person you decide to share it with. Choose wisely (as Steve did), and you have a partner who will help see you through daily challenges.

fail forward 21 Life Lessons from Steve Jobs

18 Fail Forward

Everybody fails. It’s how you respond to those failures that makes all the difference. In 1984, Steve Jobs was fired from Apple.

At Stanford’s 2005 commencement address, he had this to say about it:

“I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

19 Learn How to Take a Brick to the Head

More inspiring words from the Stanford speech:

“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.”

20 Remember You’ll be Dead Soon

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”

Our time on this earth is short. Let’s make it count.

#21 Put a Dent in the Universe

Jobs once said, “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else even be here?”

Having a higher purpose doesn’t just help you find success. It redefines the meaning of the word.
Ready to Redefine Success?

I’ll let Jobs have the last word:

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

want to become Entrepreneur – watch it.

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The Godfather
One of the greatest films in the world based on the best book I’ve ever read. The Godfather is the story about the growth of a small family business as it becomes the largest organised crime family in New York, fighting off opposition at any expense. The Godfather and his son Michael Corleone are the brains behind the family and this film gives you an insight into what it takes to become one of the most powerful family businesses in the country.

Glengary Glen Ross

In the fast paced world of Chicago real estate, competition and incentive is what decides who’s the best. That’s why they’re having a little sales competition – First prize is a Cadillac El Dorado, second prize is a set of steak knives, third prize is you’re fired. With stakes that high, and the pressure on, the salesmen show that they’re willing to do anything it takes to succeed in business, but the most interesting part of this is film, is what exactly that is.

Wall Street

In the life of an ambitious young stockbroker, Bud Fox will do just about anything it takes to succeed, and for him, that includes a little bit of insider trading. See what happens when the desire to succeed takes over your life and the motto of ‘Greed is good’ directs how you do business. But what happens when you’re pushed to your limits and asked to do something you can’t or won’t do? Suddenly everything comes to a head when Fox is asked to help do something, not only illegal, but morally reprehensible.

The Game

What do you get the guy who has everything? Nicholas Van Orton (played by Michael Douglas) is a wealthy San Francisco banker who’s life is wrapped up in his business, which has left him as somewhat of a loner. His brother Conrad gives him the gift of a lifetime, which would prove to change his perspective on the world and the way that he’s going to live it. When bad things start to happen to you, you start to question what’s really important in live, business, success and money, or actually living?

Boiler Room

After entering the stockbroking profession to impress his father, Seth Davis, a Queens College dropout, soon realizes the huge earning potential ahead of him. But with commissions much larger than any other company, Seth soon learns that not everything is what it’s cracked up to be and he’s forced to face the dilemma of money and greed vs. morals and legality. For any young entrepreneur starting out in business, it’s a very real possibility that you’re going to face moral dilemmas and the way that they’re dealt with in this film is very eye opening.

Jerry Maguire

This is a story about a man who’s at the top of his game; beautiful partner, the biggest clients, lots of respect. But then he decides to step back and question it all and proposes his new thoughts to the rest of the company, which ultimately ends in him losing it all. Everyone turns his back on him, except for one, very volatile client, Rod Tidwell. From here you see Jerry examine what it really important to his business and life and works towards bringing it all back together again, only this time, the way it should be.

Trading Places

What happens when you take the rich and the poor and make them switch places? A social experiment ran by Mortimer and Randolph Duke, brother and owners of a commodities brokerage firm, proves to be very interesting when the switched pair run into each other. A life changing event for both of them, poses the question of what’s more important in life, friends and love, or money and power?

Office Space

When your hypnotist dies just after they’ve put you in a state of complete bliss, you can’t help but have a refreshing outlook on life. If there’s ever a film to make you want to get out of a desk job in the corporate world, then this is it. Peter Gibbons is a man who can’t help but be promoted as he consistently starts to slack off and do things his own way, but trouble starts to arise when his new careless nature starts to lead to him stealing from the company in a much bigger way than he expected.

Pursuit of Happyness

This is a real life story of a man who believes so badly in a product that he can’t sell that he ends up losing his house, his wife and his money, being left with just himself and his son. This in itself is an important lesson to be learnt, but it’s the steps that he takes from here that really shape him into who he becomes. Against all odds, he takes an unpaid internship to become a stockbroker, fighting against his peers for a single job at the end of it. This is a powerful true story that sticks with you as you face your own personal struggles in business.

Catch Me If You Can

Again, this is another true story, about a young conman who successfully impersonated an airline pilot, doctor, lawyer and history professor during his stint as fraudulent cheque casher. What’s amazing about this film and the life of Frank Abegnale Jr. is how much he managed to achieve in a much tougher environment and under more stress than most people are used to. Whether it’s legal or not, business is business and Frank was one of the best at what he did.

Rocky

This is a story of a man who went from nothing tom something, and something very big at that. It’s an inspirational film for the amount of perseverance Rocky puts into it, but that’s not what I love the most about this film. My favourite part is the story behind the making of the film and the life of Sylvester Stalone up until this point. He’d written the entire script in 24 hours straight, but had so little money that he had to sell his dog, his best friend, outside of a liquor store for $50, just to get by.

The real turn in the story is when, after months of trying to sell the movie, he gets an offer of over $100,000, but he can’t play Rocky. This is a big problem for Sylvester as he only ever dreamed of being an actor, so with barely enough money to eat, he declined the offer. Higher offers kept coming in, but he continued to turn them down, even to the sum of $400,000, purely because he wanted to play Rocky. Eventually, he was offerered just £25,000 if he wanted to play Rocky and he took it.

The first thing he did was go back to the liquor store to buy back his dog, but this ended up costing him $15,000 and a part in the movie for the man he’d sold him to. So after everything, Sylvester was made into a huge movie star, with Rocky winning an Oscar for best picture, all because he continued to follow his dream. This mentally is seen throughout the film and part of the reason it makes it a great film for any entrepreneur to watch.

Shawshank Redemption

This is one of the greatest films of all time, and one I’m sure that the majority of readers have seen before, purely because of its undeniable greatness. It’s the story of a man who manages to succeed in the worst possible conditions imaginable – false imprisonment for the murder of his cheating wife and lover. From making friends with another con inside the prison, Andy manages to make the best out of a very bad situation and through perseverance manages to achieve more than he ever thought possible.

The Social Network

This is another story of the young, successful and intelligent man, only this time, it’s based on a true story of the world’s youngest billionaire – Mark Zuckerberg, the creator and owner of Facebook. The story is pretty amazing and has been made famous by this film, he starts off as a Harvard student with a strong streak of arrogance and huge potential, he creates a new social network based upon the most prestigious email address in the country, the Harvard email address. The rest, as they say, is history.

Pirates of Silicon Valley

There are no two bigger names in technology than Microsoft and Apple and this is their story. This is an amusing documentary style film about their competition and their rise to the enormous companies that they are today. It’s slightly dated today, and perhaps The Social Network is a little bit more relevant, but it still holds some very valuable information and pointers to learn from. After all, you’re gotta be a pretty special person to become as powerful as they have.

Forrest Gump

This is a simple man with good intentions, who accidentally becomes phenomenally successful from living his life the best way he knows how. He wins medals, becomes a professional ping-pong player, takes up running, owns a huge shrimping company and inspires people all across the country. The simple nature of Forrest makes him very appealing to world as he proves that you don’t have to be a super genius to make something work, you just have to try.

Blow

Another great film based on a true story, this time only slightly more illegal than the last, it’s a film based on George Jung and his career as a cocaine dealer. What started off as a small time operation working with pot, he is eventually imprisoned and introduced to cocaine and that’s where things start to explode. He’s rumored to have handled about 85% of all of the supply of cocaine in the 1970′s, making him an incredibly powerful and successful man, and this film is all about exactly how he did it.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

This is the story about two con men, big time and small time, and their struggle to compete together in a small French town which isn’t big enough for the both of them. So they decide to take part in a bet in which the loser leaves town and allows the other to carry on with their business. The only problem is that the bet is to see who can extract $50,o00 from a young female target – a pretty high stake. Of course hilarity ensues as you get to watch how the minds of con men work as they compete against each other to reach the goal first.

The Aviator

A biopic depicting the early years of director and aviator Howard Hughes’ career from the late 1920′s to mid 40′s. It wasn’t the money he made or the time he spent that made him so great, it was the attention to detail and perfection that he strived for that set him apart from his competition. He faced many obstacles along the way from rival companies and malicious rumors, but nothing stopped him from becoming exactly who he wanted to be.

Risky Business

A good story about what you have to do when you take your dad’s Porsche out for a trip and start to realize that you’re going to need a lot of money, which you’re going to have to raise in a very creative way. With his parents away and responsibility out of the window, Joel starts to realize that it’s not all as easy as he was expecting, having to look after friends and source cash any way he can. An interesting look at what people can come up with when they’re put on the spot to come up with some fast cash.

The Corporation

This film takes a good, long look at what happens when you take a business and you model it to be legally a person – a corporation. What happens though when the sole purpose of this person is to make money for its shareholders though? It starts to act without a conscience which threatens the world, our future and the people working for it. This isn’t just a film about evil corporations though, it’s also about what we can do to stop them from taking over everything that we know. I saw this film in the cinema and it’s well worth seeing again, it’s completely eye opening.

World’s top ten golf courses

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Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand

This course, on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, comes top of our list for its dramatic location. Built on what was a 5,000-acre sheep station, its fairways play out along a series of jagged ridges that jut out like fingers into the Pacific before plunging down to the rocks below. From the time of being struck, misdirected balls will take a full 10 seconds to reach the water. Designed by the American architect Tom Doak, Cape Kidnappers has none of the sandy dunes that characterise true links courses – but the harsh landscape is in keeping with the game. Players must contend with fearsome ravines, contoured fairways and fast, tilted greens. The coastal holes are the best, and the 15th (Pirate’s Plank) is my favourite. Arrowing inexorably down one of the narrow promontories, the final shot to the green feels as if it is bound for the end of the earth.

.Royal County Down, Northern Ireland

Tom Watson, the former world number one, said the first nine holes of this coastal course are the best he has ever played. Designed by Tom Morris, the links hug the coastline near the small town of Newcastle. Among the course’s many challenges, the seventh (a par three) and the 12th (a sharp dog-leg) stand out. However, the feature hole has to be the fourth – a 217-yard par four. From a dramatically elevated tee, players must clear a sea of gorse to a heavily bunkered green surrounded by trees and tall grasses. Views stretch to the Morne Mountains while, behind you, wind-whipped dunes rise high above the Irish Sea.

Pebble Beach, United States

Most of America’s finest courses (think Augusta, Pine Valley and Whistling Straits) are closed to all but a handful of wealthy Ivy League members. Pebble Beach in California is the exception, being open to all who pay the green fee. Jack Nicklaus said that if he had only one more round to play in his life, he would play it here. Designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant nearly 90 years ago, the course hugs the Pacific coast and features narrow fairways, sloping greens and panoramic ocean views. The most famous closing two holes in golf were played here (Tom Watson’s chip-in during the 1982 US Open and Jack Nicklaus’s unerringly accurate one iron a decade earlier); however, it is holes five to eight, with their water hazards, that propel this course to the top of anyone’s wish list.

Leopard Creek, South Africa

Being a bit wild off the tee takes on a new meaning here, since some of the water hazards are moving ones – from “the Big Five” to more than 200 species of bird, plus baboons, crocodiles, giraffes and warthogs that come to drink in the streams of Leopard Creek, on the edge of the Kruger National Park. The pick of the holes are two par fives: the fourth, more than 600 yards long, sits 100ft above the edge of Crocodile River and is a popular resting point for both elephants and errant drives. The dramatic final hole has an island green that seems to shrink as the crowds gather with their sundowners to watch.

Green Monkey, Barbados

Not many things can stir people from their Bajan sunlounger, but a round at Sandy Lane’s new course might. Designed by Tom Fazio, it zigzags 7,400 yards across a tabletop landscape – but its first few holes are anti-climactic. It is only after the ninth, a par five plunging 100ft into a quarry, that players realise what all the fuss and finance was about. Dropping down through towering walls of rock, it is 635 yards long – but the signature hole is the 16th. From an elevated tee, you stare down at a green 225 yards away, protected by a giant bunker where your only salvation is a grassy island carved in the shape of… a green monkey.

Turnberry, Scotland

You can debate which is Scotland’s finest course into the wee hours. Kingsbarns or St Andrews? Loch Lomond, Prestwick or Troon? I have gone for Turnberry in Ayrshire – the venue for next year’s Open, with its two championship courses, Ailsa and Kintyre. The former, redesigned by Mackenzie Ross after it was flattened for use as a World War Two airfield, is my pick. The 18th hole may now be named “Duel in the Sun”, after Tom Watson’s epic victory over Jack Nicklaus by a single stroke 31 years ago, but the ninth – on a cliff edge – blows the mind. As golf writer Henry Longhurst observed: “You find yourself lingering on the tee, gazing down on the waves as they break on the rocks and reflecting how good it is to be alive”.

Domaine de Sperone, Corsica

Located on the southern point of the island, near Bonifacio, this course (designed by Robert Trent Jones) is a unique mix of nine inland holes and nine played on coastal links and craggy rocks where ravines plunge to the Mediterranean. The 15th offers superb views of the islands of Cavallo and Lavezzi, but the signature hole is the 16th. Considered one of the finest par fives in the world, it requires a daring drive across the cliffs – which brings out the Tiger in even the diffident.

Canouan, The Grenadines

Designed by Jim Fazio, this tropical island course rises dramatically from sea level to the 840ft rim of an extinct volcano. Rich green fairways and hibiscus-lined borders contrast vividly with the cliffs, turquoise waters and talcum-white sands below. Dog-legs and tricky tee-offs make the opening holes difficult, but the back nine are the most dramatic. The 11th (a par four) forces you to drive over a deep ravine on to an angled fairway, but the 13th is more dramatic still. Occupying the highest point on the course, it offers views of Mustique to the north and Mayreau to the south.

Doonbeg, Ireland

The rolling green hills and windswept headlands of south-west Ireland are perfect for golf courses, hence classics such as Lahinch and Ballybunion. Doonbeg, designed by Greg Norman, is barely six years old – but from the first hole, you feel it has been there for centuries. The fairways follow the natural contours of the terrain, so holes range from a clifftop par three of 100 yards to a 600-yard par five flanking a mile or so of golden sand.

Royal Melbourne, Australia

The East and West courses are said to be the finest in the southern hemisphere. Designed 80 years ago by the legendary Dr Alister MacKenzie, the fairways and greens are not as benign as they look. Strategically placed bunkers and fast, contoured greens mean only the best achieve a good score. Flanked by deep bunkers, the green at the fifth hole on the West course looks inviting – but its tilt from back to front means any hit short of the flag races back down the glassy surface.

- Telegraph

Must-Watch Fashion Designers

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Alexander McQueen

Always on the cutting edge, Alexander McQueen is an example of a designer that not everyone will “get”, but we all have to appreciate from an artistic perspective. His collections are examples of pure theatrics and artistry – truly architecture in clothing form.

Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang is probably my favorite designer on this list – if I could wear only one designer’s clothing every day, it would definitely be his. Every piece he designs is impeccably simple, but still edgy and fashion-forward. Alexander Wang’s work is proof that simple clothes don’t have to be boring, and that the beauty of clothing is in the details.

Balenciaga

I chose Balenciaga for this list because it’s one of the most modern and envelope-pushing fashion houses out there today. It’s been around since 1919, but has been transformed into a modern brand under creative director and fashion genius Nicolas Ghesquiere. Expect to be taken to another world when you check out a Balenciaga show. Maybe it’s not the most wearable fashion house, but it’s certainly one of the most inspiring, something we can all appreciate.

Betsey Johnson

How could I write about young, fun, fashion designers and not mention Betsey Johnson? She’s been rocking the fashion world with her exuberant, funky, and over-the-top styles for years now, and she’s got legions of loyal fans all over the world! Betsey’s clothes are always fun, sexy, and colorful, but they’re also really wearable and somewhat affordable as far as designer clothes go. What’s not to love?

Chloé

Chloé is a brand that’s made for a true girly girl – tons of chiffon, floaty dresses, and incredible shoes & accessories! Chloé has been around since 1952, but has experienced a huge resurgence in popularity over the past 10 years. The brand is responsible for the cult-classic Paddington bag that was such a huge hit a few years ago. The bag’s “it girl” status helped Chloé gain thousands of new fans and launched it as a popular fashion house among young people.

Erin Fetherston

I have to say – Erin is another one of my favorites on this list! She’s another example of a young designer who’s already become a huge force in the fashion industry with her girly and romantic clothes. Erin’s style is fierce yet understated with a hint of cute – I can definitely picture Blair from Gossip Girl for example wearing most of her stuff. Celebrities have picked up on Erin’s fabulousity as well – Zooey Deschanel and Kirsten Dunst are huge fans.

Luella Bartley

I fell in love with London’s Luella Bartley about a year and a half ago and have faithfully followed her designs ever since. Her stuff is always very young, modern, and for the most part completely wearable. Luella’s looks are perfect for a younger demographic – after all, mini skirts, punk rock jackets, and comic book tees don’t work so well on most women over 35!

Marc Jacobs

What list of fashion designers for young people would be complete without Marc Jacobs? He’s got millions of fans, is always on the cutting edge of what’s chic, and designs with young people in mind. While his main Marc Jacobs line is undeniably fabulous, the mass-market Marc by Marc Jacobs line is more suited to young fashionistas both in style and price. No matter which one of his lines is your favorite, it’s tough to deny that Marc is a serious fashion force among young people.

Proenza Schouler

If you’ve never seen Proenza Schouler’s designs, you don’t know what you’re missing! Designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough met as Parsons students a few years ago and won the CFDA’s Perry Ellis Award for new talent in 2003. From there, the two went on to form Proenza Schouler, a brand that’s already on par with some of the best fashion houses in the world. Proenza Schouler’s look is young, minimalist, and a little bit mod. Their pieces are impeccably tailored and have incredible details. It’s a really sophisticated line that’s young at the same time.

Stella McCartney

Laid-back and effortless are two words I’d use to describe Stella McCartney’s signature look. Her clothes are always relaxed yet still so chic and luxe looking. She also mixes in a little bit of rock & roll which gives her clothes a youthful edge. My favorite thing about Stella’s line, though, is that she doesn’t use any animal products at all in her clothes. Even her shoes are made of plant products – no leather in sight!