Redefining luxury for the modern American woman is the aim of Fashion Designer Douglas Hannant, the New York based designer who has been compared to a "young Halston" and praised by critics as "the new master of American couture." With his choice of luxurious fabrics, great attention to detail and impeccable finishing, Hannant underscores his designs with a simple, yet central idea: contrast unexpected choices and combinations to create sportswear-inspired designs with "dressed-up" sensibilities.
Sculptural yet unstructured, Hannant's ready-to-wear collection blends day and evening with confidence and focus, "chic does not mean fussy or contrived. I like to see women wearing pants at night or an exquisitely beaded tank top during the day. I consider my designs more dressed down eveningwear than dressed up sportswear," says Hannant. "There is no distinction between the two in my collections it's all about striking the right balance."
After receiving a fine arts degree from Missouri State University, Hannant relocated to New York in 1986 to study at FIT. After graduation he spent several years as a Display Director at Barney's and Bloomingdale's. It was while working at these stores that Hannant noticed a gap in the luxury market. "There was a need for good taste, modern design, and something special in luxury clothing to go against the uniform style of the 90's."
Hannant launched his first collection in the fall of 1996. It was immediately picked up by Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom's and Bloomingdale's.
