Gender Disparity in Fashion Leadership: Only 4 of 17 Recent Creative Director Appointments Were Women

A new analysis reveals persistent gender inequality in fashion's top creative roles. In the last two years, only 4 of 17 new creative director appointments went to women. Major groups like LVMH, Kering, and OTB show minimal female representation: Sarah Burton at Givenchy, Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta, and Meryll Rogge at Marni are exceptions. Richemont fares better with Chemena Kamali at Chloé, Phoebe Philo's eponymous brand, and Clare Waight at Uniqlo. A 2024 PwC Italy study found women held 30.9% of board seats in Italian fashion companies, versus 47% in France, 40% in the US, and 34% in the UK. Only 17.3% of Italian fashion executives are women, though women make up 59.1% of the textile and apparel workforce and 80% of fashion graduates. The article traces historical roots: tailoring was male-dominated until 1645 when the first female seamstresses' guild formed in France. Early 20th-century feminists like Coco Chanel and Madeleine Vionnet emerged, but the glass ceiling persists. Many female designers now launch independent brands, such as Hodakova (LVMH Prize 2024), Magda Butrym, Paula Canovas del Vas, and Cecilie Bahnsen.