Inspired by Vogue magazine and his idol Madonna, Gaspard Yurkevich first started designing shoes and clothes when he was 12 years old. After studying for two years at Studio Berçot, Yurkevich served a short stint as Jean Colonna's assistant, before launching his first collection in 1998. His sharply-cut, aggressively sexy clothes, display a gritty glamour that made him a member of the Parisian fashion brat-pack.

"I think one looks for all kinds of emotions when one makes clothes. The thing that moves me is nostalgia; it is not about being reactionary or obsessed with the past; but optimistic."