Who

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

Backstory

Born in East St. Louis and raised outside Portland by a department store executive father, Badgley attended Parsons, which is where he met James Mischka. It was on a post-graduation trip to a Mexican island that the couple first mulled over the idea of going into business together. But nothing came of the plan for a few years, and Badgley supported himself working for Donna Karan, while Mischka worked at Yves St. Laurent and Willi Smith.

Badgley Mischka was finally born in 1988, and Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys quickly picked up the collection. With their glamazon evening gowns gaining a following, in 1992 the label was bought by German fashion house Escada and the duo introduced a well-received bridal line in 1997. But the brand still struggled to turn a profit, and with Escada floundering because of money problems of its own, Badgley Mischka was put up for sale in 2004. When no buyer stepped forward, the duo had to close the company and let its staff go. (The turmoil resulted in Badgley Mischka missing two consecutive Fashion Weeks.)

Fortunately, the story didn't end there. Neil Cole, the brother of Kenneth Cole and chief of Iconix, the parent company of Candies and Rocawear (among other labels), stepped in and breathed new life into the label. Badgley Mischka has since inked deals to release shoes, a fragrance, and eyewear; in 2006 Badgley Mischka branched out even further with Platinum, a more consumer-friendly line of day wear.

Of note

Badgley Mischka's retro-inspired gowns are exceedingly glamorous, and their style has earned them plenty of celeb fans in search of something to wear down the red carpet. But they've never had much mass appeal—how often does the average woman need a heavily-beaded Oscar-worthy gown?—which is why Badgley Mischka has been seeking out more mainstream buyers as of late.

As a part of the transition, they hired Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to lend a bit of youth to the label in 2006. Sharon Stone modeled for the couture line and Teri Hatcher appeared as the face of Badgley Mischka for fall 2007. (She's a longtime fan—Hatcher wore a Badgley Mischka creation for her first red carpet experience, at the 1993 Emmys.) The attention-grabbing efforts seem 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

Among the celebs who've worn Badgley Mischka at major events: Kate Winslet (at the Oscars in both 2005 and 2006), Calista Flockhart (at the 2003 Oscars), and Jennifer Garner (at the 2005 Emmys). Badgley Mischka were famously responsible for dressing Jenna Bush and Barbara Bush in the gowns they wore to the January 2005 inaugural ball. And the duo also created the crystal-encrusted wedding gown Carmen Electra wore during her nuptials to Dave Navarro on the reality show 'Til Death Do Us Part.

Personal

Mischka and Badgley keep an apartment in Chelsea, an 1899 farmhouse in Oyster Bay, and a home West Palm Beach. When they spend weekends in Florida, Badgley tends to his stallion, a European warmblood named Brando, and competes in show jumping competitions with friends like Cornelia Guest. Mischka keeps busy with his collection of vintage cars.