about michael kors

ABOUT US

Michael Kors is a world-renowned, award-winning designer of luxury accessories and ready-to-wear. His namesake company, established in 1981, currently produces a range of products under his signature Michael Kors Collection, MICHAEL Michael Kors and Michael Kors Mens labels. These products include accessories, footwear, watches, jewellery, women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, wearable technology, eyewear and a full line of fragrance products. Michael Kors Holdings Limited is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange.


A byword for high quality elegance, the Michael Kors brand offers luxury styles that last a lifetime. Michael seamlessly combines the latest trends with his signature timeless aesthetic, resulting in classic but contemporary designs that transcend fast-moving fashion fads and delight customers with their versatility, ease, and chic.


Michael Kors stores are operated, either directly or through licensing partners, in some of the most prestigious cities in the world, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Milan, Paris, Munich, Dubai, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Rio de Janeiro. The company prides itself on hiring and retaining diverse talent and providing an inclusive work environment for all, while celebrating global events and cultures that reflect the diversity, experiences and perspectives of people around the world.


Behind this burgeoning empire stands a singular designer with an innate sense of glamour and an unfailing eye for timeless chic. Michael Kors has won numerous accolades within the fashion industry, been honored for his philanthropy, and earned the respect and affection of millions. Wholly dedicated to a vision of style that is as sophisticated as it is indulgent, as iconic as it is modern, he has created an enduring luxury lifestyle empire with a global reach.

“I design for women and men who need clothing and accessories that can keep up with their fast-paced lives and make them feel like their best selves.”

MICHAEL'S STORY

Designer Michael Kors was raised in Merrick, Long Island, a suburban town 23 miles from New York City. His keen eye for fashion was evident at a young age: at five, he advised his mother, Joan, to cut the bows off her wedding dress for her second marriage. She removed the bows.

Kors graduated from high school in 1977 and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. He also took a job at Lothar’s, a trendsetting boutique on West 57th Street, where his talents were noticed by Dawn Mello, then executive vice president of Bergdorf Goodman. Mello encouraged Kors to contact her if he ever designed a collection. Kors did just that, and in 1981 officially launched his own line. He held his first runway show in 1984, sending Iman down the runway in a turtleneck and gray flannels.

Kors was successful from the start, designing chic, luxurious sportswear that was both glamorous and effortless. He built a reputation as a designer who understands how women live and how they want feel in their clothes—confident, at ease, indulged and in control. By combining pragmatism with an unerring sense of chic, Kors’ unique take on “all American sportswear” would eventually go global.

"People think of sportswear as uniquely American, but women around the world love playing with separates because they can put their own spin on them,” Kors has said. “The creative thinking behind sportswear is the same no matter where you are—it’s all about great pieces that women can wear every day."

Gracing red carpets around the world, Michael Kors looks have been worn by a host of renowned figures, from Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton to Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry and Zendaya. Regularly featured on Best Dressed lists at prestigious events like the Met Gala and the Golden Globes, Michael Kors designs guarantee a show-stopping finish. The designer’s strong and enduring relationships with many A-list stars have resulted in both close friendships and dazzling style partnerships.

From 1997 to 2004, as he continued to build his own business, Michael Kors also served as creative director of Céline, the renowned French luxury brand. The appointment was notable—few American designers had headed up French brands—and his impact was significant. Kors is widely credited with restoring the brand’s luster, reestablishing it as a major European fashion house. During that same period, he launched Michael Kors Mens (2002) and MICHAEL Michael Kors (2004).

Despite the demands of running a global fashion house, Kors has always focused on giving back. For over 25 years he has been a passionate supporter of God’s Love We Deliver, a non-profit organization that cooks and delivers nutritious meals to people living with serious illnesses in and around New York City. In 2013 Michael Kors launched “Watch Hunger Stop,” partnering with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help fight world hunger. To date, Michael Kors has helped WFP deliver over 17 million meals to hungry children. In 2015 the designer was named Global Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Internationally recognised as both a major talent and a committed philanthropist, Michael Kors has received numerous accolades and awards, including:


2016: The McGovern-Dole Leadership award, presented by then-Vice President Joe Biden on behalf of the World Food Program USA

2015: Named a Global Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme

2013: 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, and was named to Out Magazine’s 2014 Power 50 List

2013: Presented Hillary Rodham Clinton with the first-ever Michael Kors Award for Outstanding Community Service, bestowed by God’s Love We Deliver, a non-profit organization that distributes fresh meals to people living with HIV/AIDS and other diagnoses. Kors has been involved with the organization for over 30 years.

2012: Honored with the Golden Heart Lifetime Achievement Award by God’s Love We Deliver

2010: 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

2010: The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)—Kors was the youngest-ever recipient. That same year, he received the Fragrance Foundation’s FiFi Award for Lifetime Achievement”

WHAT IS MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION?

Michael Kors launched his all-American sportswear label in 1981, earning countless awards, an A-list clientele and global recognition for his luxurious take on sophisticated clothes designed for a woman’s everyday life. Synonymous with easy glamour, timelessness and a jet set lifestyle, the collection includes sophisticated separates and eveningwear as well as shoes, handbags and other accessories.


With a focus on elegance and luxury, MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION showcases the highest quality craftsmanship in the form of standout separates, sharp tailoring, beautifully crafted designer bags, accessories and more. Designed for the luxury-focused customer, each COLLECTION piece has a straight-off-the-runway aesthetic, epitomising the best in contemporary design.

EXPLORE MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION ▸

WHAT IS MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS?

MICHAEL Michael Kors is a cool collection with a strong fashion identity, featuring a fresh mix of trends, colours, fabrics, prints and silhouettes that are always of-the-moment, that are sporty in feel but urban in attitude, conjuring a jet set lifestyle. It offers a piece for every occasion, accessible luxury with a hint of the unexpected, modern glamour with an element of ease.


Essential and fresh, Michael’s spin on all the latest trends can be found right here. The ready-to-wear MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS line includes versatile designer styles that fit into a busy lifestyle, while the brand’s world-renowned accessories range from iconic luxury handbags and go-anywhere luggage to statement-making boots and on-trend trainers. With new styles launching every season, this collection is perfect for putting together of-the-moment looks with lasting appeal. 

EXPLORE MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS ▸

MICHAEL KORS MENS

Michael Kors menswear is an innovative collection with a modern American style—cool, sporty, sophisticated. Its signature sensibility is rooted in rich sportswear, sleek tailoring and essential luxury. It offers the perfect balance of polish and ease, with silhouettes that are casual yet luxurious, comfortable yet sharp, urban yet rugged.


Master the art of sleek everyday styling in our luxury designer menswear. Combining contemporary design details with wearability, the MICHAEL KORS MENS collection includes all the style staples a well-edited wardrobe should contain. From casual-cool T-shirts and sweaters to polished straight-leg trousers and sporty zipped jackets, this varied selection ticks every style box. Finish the look with one of our statement men’s bags or backpacks, standout sunglasses and sporty Signature-print trainers. 

EXPLORE MICHAEL KORS MENS ▸

UK GENDER PAY GAP REPORT

1st April 2023

Michael Kors (UK) Limited publishes 2022 Gender Pay Gap Report, including statutory Gender Pay metrics as required by the UK Government.