Louis Verdad's collections are forever inspired by the opulence of fashionable, societal women of his homeland. He dressed Madonna in a striking cashmere two piece for the MTV Music Awards when she shared that infamous kiss with Britney Spears on stage. "I have been very lucky. Madonna's stylist, Arianne Phillips, who travels around the world in search of the right clothes, noticed my collection. Then she asked me to meet Madonna. Ms. Phillips ascribes Mr. Verdad's intensifying appeal to his knack for melding traditional tailoring with undiluted sexiness. ''His suits have a kind of playful sensibility, and yet they're chic,'' she said. ''Louis has a great sense of the female form.'' Another woman Verdad seems to be in awe of is the Fashion Republic's first lady, Anna Wintour. "Meeting her at my show was one of my highlights. She is my idol. She told me, 'Your workmanship is beautiful and your quality is very good.' There are few things in life that validate someone and that was one of them.

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