A French fashion designer who started out making jewellery, Claude Montana became a prominent figure in 1980s fashion. Montana understood the importance of colour and acquired a reputation for his color choices. In his collections, he often implemented metallic and neutral tones to widespread critical acclaim. Along with Thierry Mugler, founder of the world-renowned House of Mugler, Montana carved a name for himself with his eye for incorporating shapes into his pieces and quickly became a valuable addition to the world of fashion in the 1980s.

Shortly after starting his own design company, Montana began designing his first collection of men's clothing, Montana Hommes. He used his love of colour in his pieces, creating bold articles of clothing that made statements by using the entire piece, not just the details. For Montana, the details did not make the garment; he used every aspect of the piece to create an appealing piece of art. Along with colours, he had a love for specific materials, particularly leather and wool, both of which he would use to create sharply tailored garments with the cleanest lines of any fashion designer of his time.

His boldness met with critical acclaim, but the house that employed him, the House of Lanvin, suffered terribly for his tastes. The haute couture collections that he designed for the House of Lanvin rocked the fashion world, but because his garments were not to everyone's taste, Lanvin's business began to falter. Shortly after the house's substantial loss of revenue, Montana was replaced, but he soon went on to build his own fashion house independent of Lanvin.

Taking notes from the House of Lanvin's disastrous downward spiral, Montana sought to create more affordable clothing with his next womenswear line, Montana BLU. Despite his recent failure, Montana gathered the pieces and started over again, focusing heavily on presentation. For Montana, presentation was everything. He was not the most knowledgeable businessman, but he understood that a good presentation could bring a phoenix up from the ashes.

Montana's dedication to presentation and appearances resulted in a wide commercial following, re-establishing his reputation as a successful fashion designer. His shows became his crowning glory. With no shortage of glitz and glam, his fashion shows became prestigious events attended by only the most prominent figures in fashion. With numerous awards under his belt for his elegant clothing lines, Montana remains a prominent staple in the fashion world. His empowering dedication to perfection and refinement remain timeless contributions to clothing design, making his contribution to 1980s fashion all the more important.