by The fashion industry loves its hierarchies, which are at its core more often than not. Who’s in, who’s out, who’s new and cool, besides – heaven forbid – boring.
At this evening’s Fashion Awards the Royal Albert Hall, like any fashion show worth its fans outside, will be configured to reflect the layers of the industry. The golden titans will be resting on the central sliding stage tables hosted by mega brands (but which brand, and which celebrities you sit next to raise the stakes again), then picking orders reducing into box seats and paying punters up in the gods. Your outfit will also add a border to you. Are you wearing a hot sample from the runway? Or, “Oh wow, are those just your old clothes?” The visceral approximation of personal standing at these events is humbling to say the least. It often brings tears to the eyes of adults.
That’s why I’ve been tasked with creating a list of the industry’s 100 power players, to coincide with these big nights – where Edward Enninful, Michaela Coel and Sam Smith will be honoured, as well as this year’s supermodels and designers. crown The event itself acts as the British Fashion Council Foundation’s main funding initiative (cost of central tables, £85,000 premium for 12 seats) which supports new talent with grants, education and mentoring.
Where to start with the great, good and sometimes just filthy rich? What makes a powerful stylistic voice for someone now? There are plenty of examples of people in the public eye making a point with their wardrobe. Look at the King, his tie covered in tiny blue and white Greek flags. Was he playing politics over the Elgin Marbles, or did he miss his dad? He didn’t make our list, but his daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales did.
Then there’s Kim Kardashian, who was seen over the weekend at the Balenciaga show in Los Angeles wearing a runway that has yet to be matched by looking at the clothes she’s already worn. Whatever your feelings on the 43-year-old, her shift from being uninvited to the hosting table reflects the change over the past decade in the figures who dominate the fashion industry . Undoubtedly, the Nepali children are another phenomenon that has settled in the last 12 months. The 10-year-old daughter of Kardashian, the favorite star of TikTok, is the cover of iD North West magazine our number 14.
We could fill the list three times with chief executives and board members, but that seemed too general and not more broadly relevant to you, the reader. If you wanted to do that, here you go TL; DR: many white men. It was more interesting to look at the end result – what, or who, makes us shop or dress a certain way.
What was the most mentioned trend last year? Hello stealth wealth. Arguably the most detailed representation of the honey-dressed rich came from Succession, which added a plain baseball cap to a niche, extremely expensive Italian brand (Loro Piana), not to mention a single Burberry bag. it was bad, that was bad, on the map. That’s why we included Michelle Mattland, the costume designer for that show. It was her quick choices that fueled that idea into something that now floods social media with videos exploring “how expensive” high street clothing looks. Because of our obsession with binge-watching TV series, costume designers are achieving status just like red carpet stylists did.
As much as the fashion world claims to ride what’s new and different, in reality the status quo doesn’t change that fast. When actual new ideas are presented, the industry tends to double down. During the pandemic there were several initiatives that demanded a change in its corrupt and gross ways. But fashion shows have only increased in frequency and cost across time zones. Overproduction is destructive and destroys the environment and the workers (mostly women) in the Global South who are forced to deliver ever-increasing quantities for ever-decreasing prices. But no one is slowing down or producing less. It’s a mess we’re not picking.
Gen Z may intend to buy everything second-hand, but that’s not what their Shein addresses show ($22.7 billion in 2022) – that’s why Sky Xu, its billionaire founder, is 12.
Which brings us to our main power player: Marta Ortega Pérez, chairman of Inditex, owner of Zara, which is thriving even in a global downturn. Ortega Pérez may be high street but she also paid homage to the high fashion world. She attends fashion week shows and hosts parties at Dover Street Market. Combine that with Zara’s never-ending array of “It” items with huge appeal, and it was the clear choice to top this year’s list.
