Whenever an ill-fitting garment goes viral, you can count on the internet to comment, "I bet a man designed that." And no prizes for guessing, they’re probably right.
In fashion, women are the number one consumer, spending on average three times more on clothing than men. And yet, when it comes to design decision-making, men still wear the trousers. According to one recent industry report, less than half of leading luxury womenswear labels have a female designer at the helm, whilst another found that only 14% of major brands are run by a female executive. For several years, men have taken many of the top designer vacancies, yet whilst women may retain a small minority of top jobs, they are leading the way when it comes to creating real clothes that real women actually want to wear.
As demonstrated by Chemena Kamali at Chloé and Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri, fashion that is simultaneously stylish and functional supersedes any seasonal runway trend. The truth is that lived experience means female designers understand the value of a wearable silhouette, walkable shoe or spacious bag—and know how to deliver it. There’s hope for the future, too, in the abundance of brilliant independent female designers, such as Grace Wales Bonner, Martine Rose and Diotima’s Rachel Scott to name but a few.
So, for this new-season wish list, what better to showcase than items exclusively designed and created by women? And who better to ask than a host of industry women who not only work with high fashion every day but also live their lives in it? Keep scrolling for the female-led shopping list of our dreams.
"There are so many great female-led businesses doing brilliant and exciting things in the world of fashion. Could there be more? In a word, yes! Nonetheless, I’m really loving what Louise Trotter is doing at Carven; I feel like, as an industry, we need to be talking about her more. She is—along with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen [at The Row], Phoebe Philo and Stella McCartney—making clothes for women, and most importantly from a commercial perspective, clothes they actually want to wear.
"As a plus-size woman, it’s also great to see emerging designers such as Sinead O’Dwyer and Karoline Vitto moving the dial when it comes to size-inclusive fashion; sadly, luxury brands (even those designed by women) are slow when it comes to producing more size-inclusive collections. I also need to shout out Bianca Saunders and Tolu Coker, whose unapologetic approach to design informed by their respective cultures is incredibly inspiring and somewhat rare.
"Finally, I couldn’t discuss female-led fashion without celebrating the work of Rachel Proud, creative director at Raey [now defunct following the acquisition of Matches Fashion]. Her work really is my dream wardrobe: great tailoring, the chicest basics, statement-making yet classic outerwear… bring back Raey!
– Davina Wedderburn-Thompson, head of brand and communications at the British Fashion Council
"It's exciting to see feminine ideation start to take over the runways again. I think the prevalence of buzzy brands like Miu Miu and Chloé is evidence that consumers are looking for styles and silhouettes that are designed by women. When my clients don't have a specific item in mind and are looking for options, I tend to lean towards female-designed choices. Amina Muaddi is a go-to of mine when a client is looking for a glamorous shoe for a special event. Another popular request is for the latest It bag, and The Row has several styles leading the way in this category."
– Gab Waller, luxury fashion sourcer with clients including Hailey Beiber and Sofia Richie Grainge
"There is nothing more joyful for me than wearing or carrying a piece created by a woman, for a woman, especially when some of those women are my friends. I think Carven under Louise Trotter’s masterful direction is really leading the way for beautiful silhouettes and textures that feel so fresh."
– Rosh Mahtani, jewellery designer and founder of Alighieri
"It feels like people are going to start dressing up a bit again. I’m not talking full-on looks, but there is a step change in the air, and I think we can all interpret it as we like. That could mean a higher heel and a splash of red lipstick for one person, or the return of the suit for another. But for me, it comes down to the accessories; the kind that can transform your look from one thing to another entirely. I'm here for all the statement earrings, dramatic hats, talking-point bags and shoes that will make me want to step out."
– Kay Barron, fashion director at Net-A-Porter and author of How To Wear Everything
"As someone who works with a whole line-up of independent female creatives—all of whom, in their own ways, lit up runways and have sparked huge conversations over the past couple of months—it’s easy to feel enlivened about the next chapter in fashion. Women are, more than ever, solution-finding and change-making."
– Sophie Jewes, founder and creative director of We Are Raven
“As a female founder myself, I love championing female-led brands. Some of our most popular brands on By Rotation are female-founded: Rixo, The Vampire’s Wife and Zimmermann, to name a few. I love Hayley Menzies for this season too; her designs are so beautiful and unlike anything else I’ve seen in the fashion landscape."
– Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder and CEO of By Rotation
"The reason I commissioned this piece in the first place? I was getting tired of the constant news cycle of men being appointed to major positions in the fashion industry, and I wanted to use our platform to shine a light on the brilliant, agenda-setting women who are creating clothes, accessories and innovative fashion practices that should be celebrated. One of the perks of my job is being able to connect with inspiring women in the creative industries, and those featured here are the ones I’d like you to know more about!"
– Hannah Almassi, Editor-in-Chief of Who What Wear UK
