Anna Wintour – most people probably think of this name. Not least because her influence is humorously portrayed in the film “The Devil Wears Prada”. There is certainly some truth to this portrayal. However, this article aims to give visibility to the women who also have a significant influence on the fortunes of the fashion industry.
In order to create a balance between the international and national fashion industry, three influential women in an international context are presented first, followed by three women in a national context. The order is not subject to any particular order and is arbitrary.
There are certainly many more women who would deserve to be mentioned here, but due to the limited space available, a selection has to be made, and below you will find my personal selection of the most influential women in the contemporary fashion industry.
The most influential women in the international fashion industry
- Maria Grazia Chiuri
The Italian studied fashion design in Rome and has been the head designer at Dior since 2016. She previously worked in accessories at Valentino, for which she even received the CFDA Award (Council of Fashion Designers of America) in 2015.
Since she arrived in Paris, she has caused a stir with a new feminist wind. For her debut collection at Dior in spring/summer 2017, Chiuri made headlines with the slogan “We Should All Be Feminists”. Also “What If Women Ruled the World?” was the theme of Dior’s Spring/Summer Haute Couture 2020 show.
In the same year, actress Natalie Portman appeared at the Oscars wearing a cape embroidered with the names of all the female directors who have been left out of the Oscar nominations for years. This look was also produced in collaboration with Dior.
However, the designer’s work is often criticized. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s fashion is said to be too classic and repetitive. However, the duration of her work seems to prove the designer right, because if her collections did not sell, LVMH, the group to which Dior belongs, would probably have parted company with her long ago. LVMH did not publish figures for the individual brands, so we could only speculate and draw conclusions.
Maria Grazia Chiuri announced her resignation as Creative Director at Dior on May 29, 2025, after nine years with the fashion house. Her final show for Dior was the Dior Resort 2026 collection, which took place in Rome. In October of the same year, it was announced that the designer would take over as creative director of the Italian house Fendi.
- Phoebe Philo
Phobe Philo, who studied at Central Saint Martin University, made it to Paris in 1997, where she first worked for Chloé and was offered the role of creative director in 2001. In 2006, she left Paris and moved back to London, where an atelier was set up for herin 2008 so that she could take over the creative direction for French fashion house Céline. By 2017, she had built up a large fan base and left the brand. In 2022, the launch of her own brand was announced and in 2023 the time had come.
Lots of tailoring, luxurious materials, especially leather, and very simple bags ensure the right balance between quiet luxury and modern roughness. Just one day after the launch, most of the handbags, blouses, tops, jackets, and pants were already sold out. Here are my three favorite pieces from Phoebe Philo’s first collection.
- Miuccia Prada
Miuccia Prada actually had other plans in life, as she studied political science at the University of Milan. During the 1970s, she was a member of the Italian Communist Party and was involved in the women’s rights movement in Milan.
At the age of 28, she took over the family business, producing luxury leather goods in Milan. The company was founded in 1913 by her grandfather and then continued by her mother. Miuccia took her grandfather’s surname (or her mother’s maiden name) in the 1980s and from then on bore the surname Prada.
Miuccia Prada is the Head Designer and Chairwoman of Prada S.p.A. Since April 2020, Belgian designer Raf Simons has been Co-Creative Director in a dual leadership role with Miuccia Prada. The company owns the Miu Miu brand, among others. In addition to the original, high-priced Prada line, the company launched the Miu Miu women’s collection in 1993, a slightly more affordable second line for a younger audience. The Miu Miu line, named after Miuccia Prada’s nickname, emphasizes earthy colors and a simpler, more modern look.
The most influential women in the German fashion industry
- Kerstin Weng
Kerstin Weng studied fashion journalism at the Akademie Mode & Design in Munich. After several positions in journalism, she was appointed editor-in-chief of the German edition of Cosmopolitan at the age of just 30. As a result, Kerstin Weng was also repeatedly seen on Germany’s next Topmodel, as the winners appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan until 2017.
In January 2015, she moved to the online fashion portal Stylight, where Weng also took on the role of editor-in-chief. After just under a year, she was appointed editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine InStyle in 2016.
On October 22, 2021, it was announced that she would take over as editor-in-chief of German VOGUE. Since she took over, the media response has been great – many perceive VOGUE in Germany as younger, more modern, more political, and a little more tangible.
Here are my three favorite VOGUE covers that were created under Kerstin Weng’s direction.
- Brenda Hashtag
Brenda Weischer, as she is known by her real name, is an influencer, entrepreneur, and fashion critic. In 2017, she graduated from Central Saint Martins University in London with a master’s degree in fashion journalism. A year later, she founded the designer second-hand store disruptive berlin, which opens once a month to make shopping special again.
The key to success is probably authenticity. This may sound a little trite by now, but Brenda showed a particularly strong edge when she documented the corona celebration after the Bottega Veneta show at Soho House Berlin and has been banned from the premises worldwide ever since. She stands for honest fashion criticism, vintage fashion, and up-and-coming young designers.
Of course, the black-and-white aesthetic cannot go unmentioned here. Thom Browne, Helmut Lang, and Maison Margiela are probably the brands most associated with the influencer. She was also seen at the spring/summer 2024 haute couture show at Maison Margiela and posted this on Instagram.
This new and modern approach to fashion journalism, which brings with it a new independence, earned Brenda Weischer a place on this list.
- Christiane Arp
The former editor-in-chief of German VOGUE has earned a place on this list thanks to her commitment to up-and-coming designers. During her time as editor-in-chief, she initiated the Berliner Salon. Up-and-coming German designers can present their collections here as part of Berlin Fashion Week.
Today, Arp is on the board of the Fashion Council Germany. Founded in 2015, the association is still very young and sees its mission as follows:
With all of its initiatives, the FCG pursues the goal of further establishing, supporting, and strengthening German fashion design as a cultural and economic asset on a national and international level. Special focus is placed on the promotion of young design talent.
http://www.fashion-council-germany.org
The Fashion Fund has now been brought to Germany in collaboration with the German VOGUE and Condé Nast publishing houses. The aim is to promote up-and-coming talents and give them international visibility. We are looking for young talents who pursue a sustainable and innovative approach. The winner receives prize money and an exclusive mentoring program with a total value of 100,000 euros. The criteria evaluated are sustainability, diversity, innovation, creativity, and marketability.
These women have a significant impact on the fashion industry and use their influence to develop the industry responsibly.
Thank you very much for your commitment!