Catherine Malandrino is a French fashion designer. She caters to the female form with roughed up romantic looks in neutral palattes, fitted silhouetters, attention-grabbing sleeves, layers and netting, knitwear, negligee-insipred silk, and playful accents like hardware on shoulders.

She was born in Grenoble, France, and got her start working in Paris for such talents as Emanuel Ungaro, Louis Feraud Haute Couture, and Et Vous. She arrived in the United States with a big bang in 1988 as she took the role as head designer for Diane von Furstenberg. Malandrino launched her own label (Catherine Malandrino) ten years later, which she followed by a more expensive line (Malandrino) that serves as her higher-priced collection.

Since starting her own label, Malandrino has woven together two poles of her being: the energy of Manhattan, and the romance of Paris.

Her rock-inspired looks procured a strong following of celebs and stylists who appreciate her sexy signature. Among them are Cate Blanchet, Angelina Jolie, Madonna, Sandra Bullock, Mandy Moore, Jennifer Aniston, Heidi Klum, and Beyonce.

Malandrino is never shy about the importance of seduction in her designs, saying that she wants to design irresistible clothes that make a woman so desirable, men would just want to discreetly take off. She also believes that individuality is at the heart of fashion, that no two women should look alike since no two women are alike.

She currently runs two labels: the designer Malandrino Collection, and a more contemporary Catherine Malandrino Collection. Catherine designs both collections while her husband Bernard Aiden serves as CEO of the brand. She now has two stores in New York’s Soho and Meatpacking districts, East Hampton, and Los Angeles. She also designs accessories and introduced her first shoe line in Spring of 1996.

Both collections are also currently sold internationally in England, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, France, and Italy. Price points range from $600 to $2,500 retail for Malandrino and $300 to $800 for Catherine Malandrino line.