Companies around the world are mostly headed by men, and in the fashion universe is no different: the vast majority of people holding high positions are not women, even though it is still a female market and universe mostly. The presence of these women in leading positions is very important to inspire future generations of women who can admire them and feel they can reach where they once came. These female designers have risen to the market and have gained their space by proving that ability and talent do not choose gender.
#1 – Vivienne Westwood
She invented the puck fashion, dressed the Sex Pistols, made her own brand and became famous around the world for her unique design. Westwood is eccentric and provocative in her clothes. Pieces created with politics statements, social critics and erotic themes. Westwood mix young and pop culture with traditionalism in an innovator and unusual way.
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In the 70’s, she began creating her own clothes thinking about marginalized people and opened her first store called “Let It Rock”, with pieces inspired by rock and roll and against the flower-power movement. But only in 1974 the clothes started to present characteristics from the punk movement with fetish inspirations, rips and leather.
Some years later, in the 80’s, Westwood finally creates her own brand that carries her own name with the collection Pirates, and starts to make a lot of success around the world for because of her unique clothes. Even with the years passing by, she never lost her identity and always showed interest by the world events. Vivienne is the heart of the english fashion for more than 30 years. Her success provided a retrospective at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London with a display of 150 pieces and significant passages of her amazing career.
#2 – Carolina Herrera
Carolina Herrera: The venezuelan-american designer and stylist Carolina Herrera is known for her elegance and class when it comes to dressing celebrities. She lives in New York since 1981 and, during the 70’s and 80’s, she was appointed as one of the most well dressed women in the world.
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Her brand and empire started to grow fast and significantly, especially for dressing Jackie Kennedy and other influential women in the world. Herrera soon became one of the most successful women in the fashion world, and started to expand her line of luxury products over the years with parfums, wedding dresses, scarfs, bags and other accessories. Since then, Herrera and her company have emerged as one of the fashion houses with international success and is highly recognized and respected in the world of high fashion.
#3 – Stella McCartney
With a lot of interest in fashion since she was a child, McCartney studied fashion design at the Central Martin, in London, in the beginning of the 90’s and graduated in 1995. Her graduation collection brought models like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell on the runway showing her designs. The show was on every first page on the news and made her entire collection sold out in Tokyo.
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In 1997, she became the creative director of the french brand Chloé, and her creations were a critic and financial success. In 2001, McCartney launches her own brand and her first collection with her name in Paris. Nowadays, her label own stores in 17 countries. Vegetarian for most of her life, the designer doesn’t use any leather or fur on her clothes and have been a true supporter of the animals rights.
#4 – Kate Spade
Katherine Noel Brosnahan, later known as Kate Spade, moved to New York in the 80’s and, after being the style director to Mademoiselle magazine, she launched her first bag collection. It was the result of all the inspiration and what Kate searched in flea markets and vintage stores, as she also searched for styles, fabrics and production costs to make her bags.
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Kate Spade New York was founded in 1993 by Kate Spade and her husband and business partner, Andy Spade. Her debut line infused classic shapes, colors and fabrics into a now iconic square bag with a little black label, sewn to the outside of the bag, that said “Kate Spade New York”. In 1996, Spade opened her first store in New York and it was a huge success because of the loyal public the label attracted.
In the 00’s, Spade expanded her products to include stationeries, personal organizers, shoes, beauty products, perfumes, pajamas and eyewear. It currently has an entire collection of women’s clothing and has more than 180 stores around the world. Spade went from taking “the nothing black bag” to a creative personalized purses and a empire in the fashion world.
#5 – Diane von Fürstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg is considered one of the most important fashion creators of the 70’s and 80’s. Born in Belgium, the designer is highly respected in the fashion world and her label is one of the biggest financial success after Chanel.
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In the 1960s, she moved with her husband at the time to New York. There, she became very famous when designed a whole collection of Jersey dresses to pass the time, and her talent received praise from Diana Vreeland, the legendary publisher of Vogue magazine.
In the mid-1970s, the designer surprised her by creating the famous Wrap Dress, which promised to model the female silhouette with comfort. The dress was a success and went on to sell 25 thousand pieces per week.
Currently, her label is one of the most respected in the fashion world and her fashion show is currently at New York Fashion Week. In addition to marketing her products, which include dresses, shoes, handbags, glasses, accessories, beachwear and home in more than 70 countries and has 75 own stores spread around the world.