CNN has released its list of the ten most powerful women in fashion – and some of the names, and absences, might surprise you…
CNN has named the top ten most powerful women in fashion – and it’s a list with some surprising omissions.
Anna Wintour has, of course, top spot, but only one other Vogue editor made the list – not Carine Roitfeld, not Anna Della Russo, but Franca Sozzani, editor of Vogue Italia. Conde Nast may be worrying that the influence of their flagship magazine is lessening in a world of bloggers and Tweeting celebrities.
The retail side of fashion has a strong presence, too – Net-a-Porter’s founder Natalia Massenet makes the list – but critics were restricted purely to the indomitable Cathy Horyn, fashion reviewer for the New York Times, who can make or break careers.
The others are largely designers – Phoebe Philo, Miuccia Prada and Diane von Furstenberg. Donatella Versace didn’t make the list, probably to her slight chagrin – and neither did Stella McCartney, which is more of a surprise.
The most celebrated entry is Pat McGrath, a name unknown to most non-fashionistas but a force to be reckoned with behind the scenes.
McGrath is the ultimate make-up artist – she does the make-up for every major show of the year, personally consults with every designer and is the source for make-up trends around the world.
If you’ve ever bought plum lipstick, imitated a bold lip or lusted after the catwalk’s false eyelashes, you’re in McGrath’s territory.
Not a single model is to be found on the whole list, nor any photographers.
Do you think these are the top 10 most influential women in fashion? Who are your picks?
Image: Pat McGrath.
Anja Rubik, supermodel and muse to many top designers, is starting a fashion magazine – and it’s decidedly out of the ordinary.
Rubik told reporters that she’s basing it on Viva, the Penthouse publication for women from the 1960s and 70s.
The flavour of Viva’s reporting? Decidedly erotic – with pictorials which these days look fairly tame beside everyday editorials in Vogue, but which for the time were incredibly daring.
Rubik has said that the first issue, to be out in June, is focussed largely on the idea of the ‘very strong woman’ – and it’s an all-female publication, with female photographers, copy editors and creatives involved.
The top-paid photographers in fashion are male – Terry Richardson, Mario Testino et al – so it will be interesting to see if Rubik’s publication launches the careers of any new exciting female faces. Annie Liebowitz is equally acclaimed in fashion circles, but has experienced financial problems and is facing criticism for the quality of her latest work.
Viva is also famous – though you wouldn’t know it – for starting Anna Wintour’s career. She began as an editor at the Penthouse publication long before she came to Vogue, and reportedly won’t ever discuss the topic again.
Do you think there’s a need for a women’s erotica in the magazine world?
Image: Anja Rubik.
Too often Australian designers are left out of the loop in international shopping market.
That’s about to change, with eBay’s Fashion Gallery announcing that it’s taking on a new group of Australian fashion designers. And the group is a pretty rarefied one.
The four names joining the list are Lisa Ho, Fleur Wood, Suboo and Farage – representing the highest end of Australian fashion. Fashionistas down under know the brands well, but this is a chance to get them quickly and easily – and a big boost for the brands’ exposure overseas.
eBay has already put its faith in Australian fashion on other levels – it stocks cheaper labels from Ladakh to Supre, and Mimco and Witchery have online stores.
The Fashion Gallery is one of the fastest-growing online shopping hubs on the web – and Rescu. favourite Candice Lake covered the Fashion Weeks for them, which just makes them cooler.
Fashion Gallery has said it’s planning to expand even more. We hope we see some other breakthrough designers on its racks soon…
Image: Fashion Gallery.
