The question is far from new, yet it never loses its urgency. Why, in an industry where women are both the main consumers and the majority of the workforce, do they remain absent from positions of real authority? Fashion has long been regarded as a women’s domain. Yet a closer look at the power structures reveals a different truth. At the top of organisational charts, men still occupy most key roles. This is not due to any lack of talent among women, but because the pathways to those roles were never designed with them in mind.
Many sociologists highlight an uncomfortable reality. From education to hiring practices and corporate culture, these systems operate on a foundation shaped by male dominance. Despite its reputation for creativity and innovation, fashion is no exception. Conversations about gender often linger on surface-level imagery, while the core power centres where strategy and vision are formed remain firmly rooted in tradition.
