Fashion's Top Creative Jobs Still Dominated by Men Despite Female Leadership Elsewhere
Despite recent high-profile appointments, a significant gender imbalance persists within the upper echelons of the fashion industry's creative roles. The recent appointment of Maria Grazia Chiuri at Fendi, while noteworthy, does little to alter a broader landscape where women, despite their foundational contributions, remain largely excluded from the most influential design positions.
The autumn Fashion Weeks in Paris and Milan, marking an unprecedented reshuffle among artistic directors, saw a dozen new designers unveil their inaugural collections for major houses. In Paris, iconic brands like Chanel, Dior, Balenciaga, Loewe, and Jean Paul Gaultier introduced new creative helms, while Milanese giants such as Gucci, Versace, and Bottega Veneta followed suit. Strikingly, among these numerous new appointments, only one was a woman: British designer Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta. This contrast is further amplified by instances such as Matthieu Blazy succeeding Virginie Viard at Chanel, and Jonathan Anderson taking over from Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior, underscoring a trend of male designers replacing their female counterparts.
Experts point to a regression in opportunities for women in these roles. Karen Van Godtsenhoven, a Belgian fashion specialist and guest curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, observed to AFP that a "small opening" for women appeared just before the Covid-19 pandemic. However, she suggests that the pandemic fostered a societal return to "more conservative and reactionary modes of thinking," which translated within the fashion industry to a re-entrenchment of the "old certainties of the solitary male designer."
American author Dana Thomas, an authority on the luxury industry, attributes this setback to the conservative and often older leadership structures dominating major luxury groups like LVMH, Kering, and Chanel. Thomas critically notes that Chanel, a house "founded by the most famous and influential woman in fashion," Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, "missed an opportunity by not appointing a woman" as its artistic director. This pattern is not isolated, as Thomas further highlights that Lanvin, Nina Ricci, Schiaparelli, and Celine – all founded by women – are today led by male artistic directors.
Indeed, the appointments of Sarah Burton at Givenchy last year and Maria Grazia Chiuri at Fendi this week stand out as rare exceptions to this prevailing trend. French sociologist Frédéric Godart, a researcher at INSEAD, identifies several deep-seated factors contributing to this male dominance. He points to an industry "historically dominated by men," characterized by demanding work rhythms often incompatible with the family responsibilities disproportionately borne by women, alongside persistent pay inequalities.
Godart also highlights the enduring "myth of the creative genius," which continues to sway decision-makers. Karen Van Godtsenhoven echoes this, noting that recent female designers at houses like Chanel and Dior were often perceived as figures of transition or continuity, rather than bold visionaries. She laments that women, despite their strong presence across all levels of production, remain confined to "artisanal roles," while men are consistently cast as the industry's creative trailblazers.
This situation is particularly paradoxical given the abundance of female talent within the sector. Fashion schools continue to train a majority of women designers, and women are well represented in management and leadership positions. For instance, Chanel, Gucci, and Dior are currently led by women: Leena Nair, Francesca Bellettini, and Delphine Arnault, respectively. At Kering, women comprise 58% of management posts and half of the executive committee, although LVMH did not provide similar data when contacted by AFP.
Faced with the significant hurdles of ascending to top creative roles within established houses, some highly acclaimed female designers, including Iris van Herpen, Molly Goddard, and Simone Rocha, have chosen to emulate pioneers like Donna Karan by founding and leading their own independent houses. Dana Thomas expresses a widely shared sentiment, lamenting, "There's a whole generation of really, really talented women, and they just don't have the opportunities" within the traditional luxury fashion system.
