Mark Badgley and James Mischka met while studying at Parsons School of Design. Both spent time working for established designers: Badgley for Donna Karan; Mischka for the WilliWear Willi Smith men’s collection, before starting their own line in 1988. In 1993, with financial backing from Escada, Badgley Mischka expanded their business, which now includes handbags, jewelry, shoes, bridal, timepieces, hats, scarves, sunglasses, swimwear and fragrance. In 2004, Candies (now Iconix Brand Group Inc.) acquired the brand from Escada. Today, their range includes couture, collection and Mark + James. Honors include Fashion Group International’s Night of Stars award, Mouton Cadet Young Designer award, AAFA American Image award and Dallas Fashion award.