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Luxury fashion has long been an industry built on the creativity and buying power of women, yet the highest leadership roles remain dominated by white men. Recent creative director appointments have made this imbalance glaringly obvious: Demna Gvasalia has been appointed to take over at Gucci, Donatella Versace – the last remaining female powerhouse at a major fashion house – has stepped down into a more junior role, and Jonathan Anderson’s departure from Loewe raises questions about who will replace him. The result? A noticeable absence of female creative directors shaping the future of high fashion. This shift raises important questions: Why are women struggling to break into or maintain leadership roles at major luxury houses? Is the fashion industry regressing to a time when male designers dictated women’s style without female visionaries at the helm? Or has the push for gender diversity in leadership been little more than a fleeting trend? As fashion grapples with its identity in an era of corporate consolidation, conservatism, and brand-driven design, the industry’s top roles remain an exclusive “boy’s club.” The question remains: What will it take for women to reclaim their place at the creative forefront?

Women not only make up the majority of the consumer base but also drive trends, dominate fashion media, and serve as the muses behind the industry’s most iconic collections. The fashion industry, and luxury at large, thoroughly benefit from the female image. From marketing campaigns, runway shows, and magazine covers, women remain the central muse. Yet, even with all of the influence women provide to the industry, the top decision-makers remain male. Historically, the industry has celebrated male designers as visionaries shaping women’s fashion. Names like Christian Dior, who redefined post-war femininity with the "New Look," Karl Lagerfeld, who modernized Chanel’s aesthetic for the contemporary woman, and Alexander McQueen, whose theatrical designs centered on the complexities of female power and vulnerability, are hailed as creative geniuses. Their contributions undeniably shaped the industry, but they also reinforced a tradition where male designers are seen as the ultimate arbiters of style, often dictating how women should present themselves. This pattern has continued into the present. The last two decades have seen creative director roles at major luxury houses consistently filled by men.  Even when female designers have held leadership roles, their tenure has often been shorter or met with greater scrutiny compared to their male counterparts. The female experience constantly seems tethered to the male gaze, and it's time to change that.

 

Women are heavily represented in fashion education, making up the majority of students in prestigious design programs worldwide. Yet, despite their presence at the entry level, they face systemic barriers when it comes to breaking into leadership roles. Male fashion students, on the other hand, are often championed and provided preferential treatment, giving them a competitive edge when applying for jobs, securing mentorships, and pitching portfolios. Despite ongoing conversations about gender equity in fashion, the numbers reveal a stark reality: luxury houses are overwhelmingly appointing men to creative leadership roles. A 1 Granary report highlighted that out of 38 creative directors hired by Kering since 1995, only five have been women, which is 13%. Many of these decisions come down to corporate influence and the increasing prioritization of brand stability over creative risk. Luxury conglomerates like LVMH and Kering now hold significant control over major fashion houses, and their leadership structures remain predominantly male.These early advantages create a ripple effect that propels men into leadership positions at a faster rate, leaving many talented women struggling to secure the same opportunities. The problem isn’t just about talent, it’s about access. Many of the top opportunities in fashion are granted to a select demographic, reinforcing an exclusionary cycle. “When I speak to the men I know in the industry, all of them will admit that they have advantages,” notes the Head of Design at Kering, acknowledging the systemic imbalance that favors male creatives. “In education, women are overrepresented in this context, yet male fashion students are more championed and provided preferential treatment, giving them an advantage when applying for jobs or pitching portfolios. A 2022 study by the Fashion Retail Academy found that while 80% of fashion students are women, men continue to dominate leadership roles post-graduation, suggesting that the industry’s hiring practices favor male creatives from the outset.

 

Even when women do break into design leadership, they often face an industry that scrutinizes their work more intensely or limits their creative autonomy. Fashion remains an industry that, despite being built on female consumers, still filters much of its artistic vision through a male lens. “Misogyny is rife in this industry,” says Jeanie Annan-Lewin, creative director of Perfect magazine. “We’re marketing clothes to women but they normally all come through the male gaze.” In contrast, female designers are often placed under greater scrutiny, expected to focus on commercial viability rather than pure artistic vision. When a woman takes the lead at a major fashion house, there is often an unspoken pressure for her to create designs that are “wearable” and market-friendly rather than disruptive. Instead of being celebrated as visionaries, female designers are frequently seen as caretakers of a brand’s legacy, maintaining rather than redefining. This disparity not only limits opportunities for women in leadership but also reinforces the notion that men are more suited to shape the future of fashion.

 

The issue is not confined to Western fashion capitals. Globally, systemic barriers prevent women from even entering the industry. “If we are really going to be honest… there are still large parts of the world where women are not even educated to get in the room, [or] not even allowed to leave the house to get educated to get in the room,” Stella McCartney told Vogue Australia in 2024. “So, there’s a huge amount of work to be done, sadly.” McCartney’s statement highlights the broader issue of gender inequality, not just in leadership but in access to fashion education and opportunities. While the discussion of gender disparity often focuses on who holds top creative roles, the reality is that many women never even get the chance to enter the room. Without systemic change, the industry will continue to reinforce the same patterns, limiting not only the number of female creative directors but also the diversity of perspectives shaping fashion as a whole.

 

Demna’s Shift: From Balenciaga to Gucci. 

The appointment of Demna Gvasalia as Gucci’s new creative director was met with industry-wide anticipation, but it also underscored a troubling pattern. While Demna’s tenure at Balenciaga solidified his reputation as a disruptive force in fashion (that opinion can be widely debated), his selection to lead Gucci highlights how luxury brands continue to favor established male designers over equally or more qualified female candidates. Gucci, a house known for its influence on women’s fashion and consumer culture, once had Frida Giannini as its creative director (2006–2015), but since her departure, the brand has followed the industry’s broader trend of appointing men to lead. The absence of female contenders for Gucci’s top creative position speaks to a deeper issue: the systemic barriers that prevent women from advancing to leadership roles, even when they have the talent and experience. With Gucci being one of the most powerful and recognizable brands in the world, this decision reinforces the idea that when it comes to fashion’s most coveted leadership roles, men are still the default choice.

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Donatella Versace’s Departure

Few women have held as much influence in luxury fashion as Donatella Versace. Having taken over the Versace brand after the tragic passing of her brother Gianni in 1997, Donatella became one of the rare female creative directors to lead a major house for decades. Her departure not only marks the end of an era but also raises a critical question: Will another woman be given the opportunity to fill her shoes, or, as the trend suggests, will a male designer step in? Versace, under Donatella’s leadership, became synonymous with bold femininity, celebrating women’s confidence and sensuality through its designs. Her influence alone led to the release of Google Images after dressing Jennifer Lopez in the 2000s. Losing such an influential female voice at the highest level of fashion further diminishes the already small number of women leading major brands. If no female successor follows, it will reinforce the idea that female-led brands are anomalies rather than an industry norm.

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As fashion brands become more corporate-driven, creative directors are expected not only to bring artistic vision but also to drive commercial success. The pattern of selecting male designers also reflects the broader cultural perception of men as "artistic geniuses" and disruptors, while women are often expected to uphold tradition or cater to market demands. This not only limits opportunities for female designers but also affects the diversity of fashion itself, leading to collections that continue to be filtered through a male perspective, even when they are being designed for women.With each new appointment, the industry is presented with an opportunity to break this cycle. However, unless there is a deliberate push to champion female designers at the highest levels, luxury fashion will continue to be a boy’s club, leaving female talent overlooked and underrepresented. If the current trend persists, the future of fashion leadership may look no different from its male-dominated past.

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One of the most persistent obstacles to gender diversity in fashion leadership is the industry's entrenched biases. While male designers are often celebrated as visionary "artistic geniuses," women are frequently pigeonholed into roles that prioritize commercial viability over creative innovation. Motherhood, or even the mere assumption of future motherhood, further exacerbates these biases. Women in the industry frequently face skepticism about their long-term dedication to their careers. There is a lingering presumption that female designers will eventually step away from demanding leadership roles due to family obligations even when they have no intention of doing so. “People assume you will leave, and that when you come back, you will care less about the job,” one female designer explained in an interview with 1 Granary, highlighting the implicit bias that continues to hinder women’s career progression.This deeply ingrained mindset creates a vicious cycle: if women are viewed as temporary or unreliable candidates for leadership, they are far less likely to be promoted to positions of power. Meanwhile, men are granted the space to take creative risks, pursue long-term artistic visions, and build legacies, further widening the gender gap at the top.

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The industry’s failure to cultivate and champion female leadership is a critical issue. Instead of merely questioning why more women and designers of color aren’t being appointed to lead luxury brands, the real focus should be on creating sustainable pathways for them to rise through the ranks. As Jeanie Annan-Lewin, creative director of Perfect magazine, noted, the solution isn’t just about getting women into existing leadership roles – it’s also about supporting them in their own endeavors and equipping them with the tools to build and sustain independent fashion businesses. “For this to work, though,” Annan-Lewin points out, “designers need to be properly nurtured and taught how to be businesses rather than just have amazing viral moments.” Without financial backing, business training, and industry connections, many female designers remain confined to the sidelines, struggling to scale their brands or break into the luxury market.

 

As Donatella Versace fiercely put it when asked about the importance of women in leadership: “It’s vital to have women in all senior positions within all industries—the world is a better place when you have diverse perspectives.” For the industry to evolve, real change must come from both the top-down and bottom-up. Luxury conglomerates like Kering and LVMH must prioritize diverse hiring and mentorship initiatives, ensuring that female designers have clear paths to leadership. Simultaneously, the fashion world must invest in independent female-led brands, providing them with the resources to grow rather than letting them fade into obscurity. If the industry is serious about shaping the future, it must start by reshaping its leadership ensuring that women are not just muses or consumers, but the driving forces behind the creative visions that define luxury fashion.