From the make-up artists and hairstylists to the CEOs and change-makers, Emma McCarthy spotlights the most quietly influential women in British fashion
AT THE UPPERMOST echelons of fashion, who wears the trousers? Women are the number one consumer, spending on average three times more on clothing than men. But in the C-suite, sadly, it’s still a man’s world.
According to one industry report, fewer than half of leading luxury womenswear brands have a female designer at the helm, while another found that only 14% of major brands are run by a female executive. This gender disparity became public discourse when Sarah Burton left Alexander McQueen last October, after 26 years at the brand, 13 at its helm. When her replacement was announced as 35-year-old Irish designer and former head of JW Anderson menswear, Seán McGirr, the internet was quick to react. The frustration wasn’t directed at the young talent, but towards parent company Kering, who now had exclusively white men in charge across its legacy brands – McQueen, Balenciaga, Brioni, Gucci, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta. Forbes also reported that of the 29 creative directors who have ever led its six major houses, only five have been women.
The issue is widespread. Of the 28 most recent artistic directors of LVMH’s six largest fashion houses – Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Celine, Dior, Givenchy and Marc Jacobs – only seven have been women, and of the top 30 luxury brands in the Vogue Business Index, women currently hold just eight of the 33 creative director roles: Maria Grazia Chiuri (Dior), Stella McCartney, Virginie Viard (Chanel), Miuccia Prada (Prada and Miu Miu), Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski (Hermès), Donatella Versace and Sandra Choi ( Jimmy Choo) – powerhouse women, no doubt, but a minority still.
There have been recent glimmers of hope. Late last year, Phoebe Philo staged a comeback with a long-awaited eponymous label, while the brilliance of British rising stars Martine Rose, Grace Wales Bonner and Bianca Saunders confirms the imbalance isn’t due to lack of talent.
The problem of under-representation at the top stems from the boardroom. Drapers found that less than one-third of board positions are held by women in UK-listed fashion retailers. So, we’ve scoured every corner of the British fashion industry to celebrate the women working behind the scenes to make the magic happen. From the make-up artists to the CEOs, let’s hear it for the unsung voices of 2024.
ANITA CHHIBA
Better known as her Instagram moniker Diet Paratha, the New Zealand-born creative of Gujarati Indian descent has cultivated an online community celebrating South Asian talent. ‘There was nothing to relate to when I was growing up, so I started collecting stories,’ says the 34-year-old. She began posting her visual mood board when she moved to London six years ago. ‘In th
