PIONEERS OF FASHION
Fashion is a constant reflection of the state of society. However, for many women, it also served as a means of projecting the world they dreamed of. On International Women’s Day, it is important to highlight the history, talent, and resilience of women in all industries. In fashion, their impact has been unbreakable, as true architects of cultural change.
Designers who broke barriers and editors who influenced how we talk about fashion today—each of them chose to live authentically to challenge norms and open new paths.
The figures we discuss here today were firm advocates of female independence, facilitating access to fashion and turning clothing into a means of empowerment. Their legacy continues to inspire new generations to defy the status quo, express themselves freely, and keep building a more inclusive, diverse, and purposeful industry.
Isabella Blow
Born into British aristocracy, Blow had an innate appreciation for drama and extravagance. Her style was inimitable: haute couture looks, spectacular hats, and impossibly high heels. Her style was always Isabella. Whether she was walking her dog or sitting in the front row at a fashion show, her wardrobe was a spectacle in itself. Her love for fashion creativity was legendary.
Her career began in the 1980s as an assistant to Anna Wintour at Vogue, returning to London to work at Tatler, Vogue UK, and The Sunday Times Style. Her ability to bridge aristocracy and the underground scene made her a fashion reference. She was the first to purchase Alexander McQueen’s entire debut collection, allowing him to launch his brand. She even offered her own home to Philip Treacy so he could create his iconic hats—of which she was the biggest client.
Alongside a life in high society, Blow battled depression and ovarian cancer. At the age of 48, she took her own life. Her wardrobe was rescued from an auction by Daphne Guinness and exhibited in 2014 in the show Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!
Diana Vreeland
Diana Vreeland was a visionary, editor, and patron of young talent. Born in Paris in 1903, her life was a whirlwind of creativity and high culture, leading Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue before becoming curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of New York. She could even be considered the great storyteller of fashion, transforming her novelistic tastes into a way of narrating the life of the fashion world. Her eye and personal perspective shaped an entire industry.
Vreeland had the talent to discover pioneering creatives. She transformed the industry by championing designers like Manolo Blahnik, Missoni, and photographers like Richard Avedon. Her love for unconventional beauty and her motto, "Exaggeration is the truth," made her one of the most influential figures of the 20th century.
She published books like Allure and D.V. Her life was later portrayed in the documentary The Eye Has to Travel. Her legacy remains strong for having changed the role of women in the industry, placing them at the center of fashion’s narrative.
Ann Lowe
Ann Lowe was one of the most important designers in the United States, though her name took decades to receive the recognition it deserved. Born in Clayton, Alabama, around 1898, her story is a testament to her talent, perseverance, and constant battle against the challenges of her time.
From a young age, Lowe was trained in dressmaking by her mother and grandmother, who already created gowns for wealthy Southern families. By the age of six, she loved crafting fabric flowers from scraps. Beyond a charming anecdote, this detail would define her artistic signature. Her skill was impossible to ignore, and she became the trusted dressmaker of high society. Perhaps the moment she is most known for is having designed Jacqueline Onassis' wedding gown for her marriage to John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
However, despite her undeniable talent and skill, Lowe faced severe racial discrimination and financial difficulties throughout her career. She was the first African American designer to own a boutique on Madison Avenue, New York, breaking barriers for future Black fashion creators.
Elsa Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli dedicated her life to turning fashion into art. Born in Rome in 1890, her childhood was marked by the intellectual influence of her family: her astronomer father and aristocratic mother immersed her in a world of culture and creativity from a young age.
At 22, she moved to London and later to Paris. There, in her most famous era, Schiaparelli integrated herself into the avant-garde movements and connected with their leading figures, forming friendships with artists like Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau.
Always inspired by surrealism, Elsa broke almost every convention of her time, redefining women’s fashion with the first runway shows conceived as performances, the skirt-pant, and women’s jumpsuits.
Her designs were worn by figures such as Joan Crawford and the Duchess of Windsor, demonstrating remarkable taste and a bold approach to creativity. She closed her fashion house in 1954, but her legacy was revived in 2012, re-establishing itself as a haute couture reference under the creative direction of Daniel Roseberry.
Mary Quant
Mary Quant wanted everyone to feel good in fashion. And it must be said, she succeeded. Born in London in 1930, she studied at Goldsmiths College and, in 1955, opened the Bazaar boutique on King’s Road, Chelsea, alongside her husband Alexander Plunket Greene. This space became the epicenter of Swinging London, symbolizing an entire generation’s desire to move away from post-war austerity.
Her rebellious and carefree style changed the face of women’s fashion. Always inspired by children's clothing and dance, she created a youthful and dynamic look with pinafores, miniskirts, tights, and geometric prints that defined the 1960s. Though she did not entirely invent the miniskirt, as some claim, she was undoubtedly its greatest promoter. Mary Quant is famous for turning the miniskirt into a symbol of freedom.
Quant diversified her brand with the Ginger Group line, making it accessible to different audiences. She also launched her own cosmetics line featuring the iconic daisy logo, which became another massive success. Recognized with the Order of the British Empire in 1966, her legacy lives on in millions of wardrobes worldwide.
Gaby Aghion
Gaby Aghion laid the foundation for modern women’s fashion. With the founding of Chloé in 1952, she introduced a new concept to the industry: luxury ready-to-wear. Unlike haute couture, which dominated elite wardrobes, Aghion proposed everyday garments that were sophisticated yet accessible. Her vision largely shaped the Parisian style we recognize today: elegant, yet natural.
Born in 1921 to a wealthy family in Alexandria, Egypt, Aghion grew up surrounded by French fashion magazines. When she moved to Paris in 1945, she immersed herself in the city’s intellectual and artistic scene. Inspired by the need for more practical and lightweight fashion than the rigid suits of the time, she launched Chloé with six dresses designed for modern women. Her first collection was presented in a café in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, challenging traditional runway shows by contextualizing fashion in an everyday environment.
Aghion was not exactly a designer, but she had an extraordinary instinct for fashion. She hired great emerging talents, including Karl Lagerfeld, who not only defined Chloé in the 1960s and 1970s but went on to become one of the greatest designers in history. Chloé became a hallmark of freedom and femininity, evolving through the visions of creators such as Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo, Clare Waight Keller, and now, Chemena Kamali.
Until her passing in 2014, Aghion remained deeply involved in the house she founded. Her legacy endures in Chloé’sfree-spirited ethos, celebrating women and their dynamic lifestyles.
Grace Coddington
Grace Coddington has been a creative force in fashion since the 1960s. Starting first as a model, she became one of the most influential fashion editors at Vogue. Born in Wales in 1941, she spent her childhood on the island of Anglesey, dreaming of escaping into the fashion world. At 18, she moved to London, where she began working as a model.
Source: Jauretsi (USA). Grace Coddington at Book Signing for The Catwalk Cats,
8 Oct. 2009. Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grace_Coddington.jpg
(edited to black&white, original retains colour).
Her distinctive red hair and natural elegance made her a muse for photographers like Norman Parkinson. However, a severe car accident in 1961 ended her modeling career, forcing her to undergo multiple surgeries. In 1968, she found a new path as a fashion editor at Vogue UK, collaborating with the best photographers of the era.
In 1988, Anna Wintour brought her to Vogue US, where her artistic vision shaped the magazine's aesthetic for over 20 years. In 2016, she stepped down from her role as creative director, but her legacy lives on in countless iconic editorials and campaigns. Her work process can be seen in the acclaimed documentary The September Issue.
Vivienne Westwood
A fundamental name in fashion history. Tartan, punk, humor, irreverence—Westwood completely shook up British fashion in the 20th century with her rebellious spirit and relentless activism.
Raised in a humble family, her destiny seemed to be that of a traditional schoolteacher. Her life changed when she met Malcolm McLaren, who introduced her to the punk movement. Together, they opened a store on King’s Road, the epicenter of alternative fashion in the 1970s.
Over time, Westwood moved beyond punk and built her own identity. She played with British symbols such as the flag, tartan, and kilts with a provocative and avant-garde vision. She was also a pioneer in sustainable fashion, using her runway shows as platforms for activism.
She passed away at the end of 2022, leaving a legacy that continues through The Vivienne Foundation, founded by her family to promote climate action and her mission to save the planet.
And you, which women inspire you?
