James Mischka
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. read full bio here.
