Mark Badgley
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.) read full bio here.
