Celebrity Trendsetter Of The Year: Kanye West

Big Brother may have released a song called "Jockin Jay-Z," but in 2008, everyone was jacking Mr. West's swag. Not only did the Louis Vuitton Don seamlessly switch his style up from nerdy-chic Tom Ford ensembles and Dee & Ricky Heart pendants to more casual Dior Jeans and out-of-the-box Jordans, but he also patented a set of sunglasses you may have seen on every street corner called "shutter shades." Add G-Shocks, tight jeans, and basically everything else your favorite rapper was wearing, and all the trends trace back to 'Ye. Oh, and just wait till he drops his own line Pastelle and his Nike Air Yeezy in 2009. Game. Over.

KanyeUniversecity.com/blog

Designer Of The Year: Richard Chai

Native New Yorker Richard Chai is an unstoppable creative force. Since interning at Geoffrey Beene while an undergraduate at Parsons School of Design, the one-time protégé of Donna Karan has made a major impact on men's fashion as the Design Director at both Marc Jacobs and TSE. The Korean-American designer founded his own eponymous line in 2004, focusing initially on women's wear. But this year, he finally let men in on the action, launching Richard Chai Menswear in Paris. The colorful line, which won by mixing a rocker mod look with school boy preppy cool, solidified Chai's reputation as one of fashion's most versatile designers.

Crossover Artist Of The Year: KAWS

For Graffiti heads, Brian "KAWS" Donnelly was always a prolific vandal, but this year the NY-based artist had his hand in a gang of projects that all but transformed him into a pop culture icon. Sure, he lent his artwork to our N.E.R.D Style + Design cover story, but his signature XX work on two Nike Air Max 90 collabs, as well as his colorful work on Kanye's 808s & Heartbreak album, exposed the artist to a whole new world. For those who looked past KAWS' commercial efforts, he also held his first solo American show at New York's Gering & Lopez Gallery that displayed everything from his cartoony-canvasses to his full sized Companions sculptures.

KawsOne.com

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