Front row, backseat—why are there no women leading couture houses anymore?

Paris Haute Couture Week Fall/Winter 2025–26 concluded a week ago and, as expected, was a spectacle. From surreal silhouettes to detailed craftsmanship, the runways were brimming with artistry and awe. But at the end of each show, as the curtains drew to a close, and the designers emerged from backstage, a different reality set in—one that felt far less progressive than the collections themselves. There were men, and more men, helming the creative vision for nearly every major couture label. In fact, the lack of women leaders was simply jarring.

Now, the fashion industry has long claimed to champion women. After all, they are the muses, the consumers, the workforce, and in many cases, the inspiration, too. Yet, for some reason, the industry seems reluctant to put them in charge because they are rarely entrusted to be the visionary leaders we all look up to, or used to for a while. Think Coco Chanel, who gave us elegance without the fuss, or Miuccia Prada, who made smart, subversive fashion feel luxe. And of course, there are the more recent trailblazers like Phoebe Philo, whose quiet minimalism still has the entire generation in a chokehold; Clare Waight Keller, the first female artistic director at Givenchy; and Bouchra Jarrar, who once led Lanvin. These women have shown us exactly what happens when women lead with vision—and why we need more of it. 

Sadly, 2025 has become a year marked by the quiet retreat of some of the industry’s most iconic female creative directors, with the most symbolic one being Maria Grazia Chiuri's exit from Dior. Chiuri was the first woman ever to lead the house in its 75-year history, and after nearly ten years of weaving a feminist voice into the brand (remember the t-shirt featuring the quote “We Should All Be Feminists”), Chiuri is now succeeded by former Loewe visionary Jonathan Anderson.

But she wasn’t the only one. Donatella Versace, arguably the most enduring female creative force in luxury fashion, recently announced her exit from her eponymous label. After years at the helm, her exit has left space at the top—one that’s reportedly going to yet another male designer. In 2024, Sarah Burton also stepped down from Alexander McQueen, a brand she had led since Lee McQueen’s death in 2010. Her successor, Seán McGirr, raised eyebrows for his under-the-radar profile and, more importantly, what it symbolised: another woman out, another man in.

When Gabriela Hearst stepped down as creative director from Chloé in 2023, her replacement, Chemena Kamali, felt like a rare win—a woman taking over from another woman. But it remains an exception, and not the norm. Because even when women do manage to hold their ground, there’s often this quiet impulse to bring in a man to share the stage. For instance, when Raf Simons was named co-creative director at Prada alongside Miuccia Prada—one of the most respected voices in fashion—she was expected to make room. That says a lot.

All of this is happening against the backdrop of a global fashion education landscape where women are the majority. At institutions like Central Saint Martins, Parsons, and Istituto Marangoni, female students consistently make up over 70 per cent of enrolments. They are designing, innovating, and graduating in droves—but rarely making it to the top.

So, what’s holding them back?

One possible explanation is the current economic climate. Post-pandemic instability, geopolitical tensions, and changing consumer behaviour have made luxury fashion a high-stakes game. In 2023, LVMH reported slower-than-expected growth in key markets like China and the US. Kering, the parent company of Gucci, YSL, and Balenciaga, also experienced a nine per cent drop in revenue in the first quarter of 2024, triggering a wave of internal restructuring. 

Moreover, the pressure from shareholders has forced legacy brands to default to safer, more familiar choices. And in an industry still shaped by a patriarchal lens, that “safe” option often translates to a male creative lead—someone viewed as less risky, more commercially viable, or capable of delivering the kind of loud reinvention that captures headlines.

It’s a paradox: on the runway, fashion flirts with rebellion and radical ideas. But in the boardroom, it still clings to the old guard. As luxury fashion becomes increasingly corporatised under conglomerates like LVMH, Kering, and Richemont, creative leadership is no longer driven purely by vision. Decisions are shaped by boards and investors—spaces that are still dominated by men.

The result? A quiet but clear consolidation of power. In recent years, major houses have appointed men to top roles, including Seán McGirr at Alexander McQueen, Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, Demna at Gucci, and Jonathan Anderson at Dior, among others. These aren’t outliers—they’re part of a pattern of risk-averse hiring that favours the familiar over the new. And when women do make it to the top, they face a different set of rules. They’re expected to balance creativity with diplomacy, commercial success with cultural sensitivity. They carry the weight of being the “first” or “only,” and when they fall short of impossible standards, their exits are swift—and often silent. 

There's also a disproportionate expectation for female designers to represent women broadly, whether through inclusive messaging, feminist politics, or sustainability efforts. Maria Grazia Chiuri was frequently scrutinised for her stance on feminism in fashion in a way that male designers rarely are. 

But that's not all. Fashion is embracing technology rapidly—digital shows, AI design tools, and virtual avatars aren’t gimmicks anymore; they’re the new normal. But with this shift, women risk being left out again. Fields like AI, CGI, and tech-driven storytelling are still heavily male-dominated spaces. And with modern creativity increasingly relying on these tools, a new gatekeeping system is emerging—one that many women haven’t had the chance to access or lead in. Instead of opening doors, technology may be reinforcing old imbalances under a glossy new surface.

Is fashion falling behind?

It’s hard to admit for an industry that prides itself on thinking ahead of the curve, but fashion is lagging in gender equity at the top. Other creative fields are slowly making progress: Hollywood has female directors breaking records, and publishing has women running major imprints. Meanwhile, the fashion industry has women retreating to being just the practical designers and men taking over leadership.

The issue isn’t talent. It’s failing to recognise, retain, and reward it. That said, change is happening, just not always within legacy houses. Designers like Simone Rocha, Marine Serre, Priya Ahluwalia, and Dilara Findikoglu are finding their own ways to make an impact, proving you don’t need a big brand behind you to create something meaningful. Closer to home, Vaishali S is an international standout—mixing tradition with fresh ideas, showing us why real representation only works when it’s supported.

So, what now? 

Fashion can’t keep preaching empowerment without actually practising it. If innovation matters, the industry needs to rethink who’s running the show—and what leadership really means, even if it means moving past the usual male names and making room for women not just in design, but in shaping the long-term vision. Because the future of fashion doesn’t lie in the next season’s collection, but in who’s calling the shots behind it. And until women have an equal stake in that power—in business, in storytelling, in vision—the industry’s idea of empowerment will remain exactly that: an idea.

Lead image credit: Getty Images 

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