Mainbocher

While big, flashy designer investments like Kering's minority stake in Altuzarra and LVMH's very recent investment in J.W. Anderson  (and tapping him to design for Loewe) make regular headlines, there's one mogul's acquisition spree that's flying under the radar—until now.

The fall couture shows ended last week, with successful collections from established designers like Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel to newer, more experimental collections from the likes of Iris van Herpen. Countries like Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium all had talent represented on the runways. But if you're looking for a great American name in haute couture, you're going to have to dig deeper.