Catherine Malandrino, born in Grenoble, France, worked for French houses Emanuel Ungaro and Louis Feraud before moving to the United States in 1998 to help relaunch the Diane von Furstenburg label. The same year, she presented her first "Collage" collection under the name Catherine Malandrino, following up in 2000 with her .Flag. collection, many of whose pieces Madonna wore on tour. Malandrino quickly gained momentum after her flirty, feminine dresses and chic Manhattan boutique appeared in Sex and the City. Malandrino currently designs for two lines: Catherine Malandrino and Malandrino, which is a more contemporary collection. In 2006 Malandrino issued a collection of accessories, including handbags and shoes and opened her first freestanding boutique in Paris.