Who

James Mischka is one half of Badgley Mischka, the design duo famous for dressing the stars on their biggest nights. His partner is Mark Badgley.

Backstory

Born in Wisconsin, Mischka lived in California and New Jersey before enrolling at Rice University in Texas as a biomedical engineering major in the early '80s. He soon changed his mind, decamping to New York and enrolling at Parsons, where he met Mark Badgley. The couple first came up with a plan for a joint fashion line on a post-graduation vacation to Mexico, although nothing came of the idea for another three years, during which time Mischka worked for Yves St. Laurent in Paris and menswear designer Willi Smith in New York while Badgely worked for Donna Karan. In 1988, they quit their jobs to go out on their own: Their first collection of glamorous gowns was quickly snapped up by buyers for Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys.

In 1992, Badgley Mischka was acquired by Escada. Although their high-end gowns remained red carpet staples over the next decade—and a bridal line launched in 1997 was well-regarded—the label wasn't a financial success and Escada put it on the auction block in 2004. When there weren't any takers, Badgley Mischka was forced to close its doors. Then Neil Cole's Iconix (which owns Candies and Rocawear, among other brands) stepped into the picture, purchasing Badgley Mischka for less than a million in 2004, and providing the funding to revive the label. Badgley Mischka has since branched out into handbags, eyewear, and jewelry.

Of note

While red carpet starlets have long been fans of Badgley Mischka's glam designs, the duo had never attracted a wide following. That changed following the Iconix acquisition, when Badgley Mischka signed a number of licensing deals and unveiled more moderately-priced lines of day-wear. They've also tried to make the brand more relevant with new advertising campaigns: In 2006, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and Sharon Stone appeared in ads for the couture line; more recently, Teri Hatcher was chosen as the face of womenswear, lingerie, and swimwear. The new strategy seems to be working: Annual revenues are expected to exceed $100 million by 2009, up from $40 million when Iconix acquired the brand in 2004.

Namedrop

Celebrity fans of Badgley Mischka abound: Their gowns have been worn by Kate Winslet (at the Oscars in both 2005 and 2006), Calista Flockhart (at the 2003 Oscars), Jennifer Garner (at the 2005 Emmys), and Carmen Electra (for her wedding to Dave Navarro on MTV's 'Til Death Do Us Part). Republicans seem to like BM too: The duo dressed Jenna and Barbara Bush for the inaugural ball in January 2005.

Personal

Mischka and Badgley have been together for more than two decades. They (and their dogs) divide their time between an apartment in Chelsea, an 1899 farmhouse in Oyster Bay, and a home in West Palm Beach. Mischka tends to his collection of old cars in his spare time (he owns a 1968 Avanti and a 1971 Mercedes 280SL), while Badgley competes in show jumping competitions.