In case you hadn’t heard, New York Fashion Week is here (though it hardly looks like Spring here.) We’re a little too busy to attend the shows so we thought we would rely on some wise career guidance from some of the most powerful women in fashion right now for a little inspiration. Whether you are pursuing a career in fashion or something else, these women proved themselves and are powerhouses (and they always look great!)
Carolina Herrera, Designer
Since launching her flagship Carolina Herrera brand in New York in 1981 she now runs a multi-billion fashion empire including her signature fashion collection, a bridal collection, fragrances and accessories. Herrera has more than 280 stores in 104 countries and her clients have included the late Jackie Onassis, Renee Zellweger and Tina Fey.
”The moment I leave my office I draw a curtain on my work. Because you know what is really boring? When you work and work and then work some more, and you don’t realize it, but work is all you talk about all the time. Many designers have that problem. Work should be an important part of your life. But for it to be your life? That is very sad.” -From the book In Style
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Rachel Zoe, Stylist, Designer, TV Personality
After pretty much putting the job of being a stylist on the map less than a decade ago, Rachel is now running a fashion empire. But thanks to Rachel and her career she has helped bring a lot of exposure to this part of the fashion industry with The Rachel Zoe Project and just the basic explosion of her career. Los Angeles Times fashion critic Booth Moore put it correctly when she called Zoe’s career trajectory impressive. “Going from no-name stylist to red carpet tastemaker, earning $6,000 a day, with clients including Cameron Diaz, Eva Mendes and Demi Moore. Rachel may be a big celebrity now but her love and passion for fashion is always evident. She is also a great businesswoman.
“Oprah is power — she is everything. Martha [Stewart], she can make a house out of a piece of paper. I have incredible respect for women like that because it’s not easy. People fight you every step of the way — they pull you down as soon as you get up. And the reality is, it’s harder for women.”
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Tory Burch, Designer, CEO, Entrepreneur
It is hard to believe that in only two years, and without any formal design or business training, Tory built a $2 billion company with a brand that is recognized around the world. It is especially amazing considering she started the business from her kitchen table and cold calling people. Soon she had 16 employees at the table with her. A few years later and one very important Oprah appearance and Tory was a household name. Never one to shy away from helping others, Tory established the Tory Burch Foundation in 2009 to assist women by providing micro-loans to them in various fields. In a recent interview with Fast Company Tory said she was interested in reaching out after she herself had faced challenges as a woman starting a business.
“There’s always a stigma attached to the word ‘ambition’ and women. I’ve embraced it. Ambition is not a four-letter word and women have to embrace that.”
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Donna Karan, Designer
As creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels, Donna Karan is world famous (and not just for being Barbra Streisand’s best friend.) She dresses women, of all ages which is a rarity in fashion. She worked for Anne Klein for many years before venturing out on her own. She debuted her own line of women’s clothing collection in 1985 and the rest is history.
“Accent your positive and delete your negative.”
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Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of Vogue
Anna has kept Vogue relevant in the age of the internet, through recessions, and as her subscribers have helped. Her success with Vogue has also brought with it Editor of the Year honors from AdAge, The National Magazine Awards and the Webby’s. She has also inspired the birth of spin-off publications such as Men’s Vogue, Vogue Living and Teen Vogue. She is considered the most powerful woman in fashion.
“I assure you all the people that work with me on a day-to-day basis don’t think that. That’s just something that’s been fabricated by the media. And as you well know once something is out there, particularly in today’s world, it just gets exaggerated. I keep my head down and do the job to the best of my ability.”
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Rachel Roy, designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist
Though Roy has a ton of celebrity clients, she insists she is designing for normal women. She debuted her first collection at New York Fashion Week in Spring 2005 and then in August 2009,she launched RACHEL Rachel Roy, a downtown, youthful companion to her designer collection featuring affordable contemporary sportswear, footwear, handbags and jewelry. It has been overwhelmingly successful. Rachel is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and in 2009 was recognized by the Accessories Council with an ACE AWARD for best brand launch for RACHEL Rachel Roy. She won Mattel’s 10 Women to Watch in 2010 and most recently she has been featured on Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed List.
“I’m at that point where I only want to work with people I trust, and I don’t want to work with anyone else. I want to pass that onto other women, or men as well. It’s a choice who we work with. If you feel you’re not in control of your life, or you’re not in control of your work situation, you are. I know we all need to pay our rent or to make our mortgage, but you can get a different job. And that’s one thing I’ve been very brave about, and I want to pass that on. I’d rather work with people that I trust — that are very kind, good people — than X, Y, and Z who might be so talented and everyone’s heard of them.”
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Jenna Lyons, Chief Creative Office for J.Crew
In just seven years as the chief creative officer of J.Crew, Lyons has doubled the sales of the retailer, resulting in a company with a valuation of $1.7 billion. She also has been the visionary force behind what has become known as the “cult of J.Crew.”
“My goal is not to be a tastemaker. It has never been that. I don’t consider myself that at all. The idea that you can make taste or influence someone’s taste is a very precarious and overly presumptuous concept. Hubris is not so cute.”
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Coco Chanel, Legendary designer, perfumer, fashion icon
Coco Chanel. There isn’t a lot that hasn’t been said about her. From poor seamstress to a designer that broke down barriers for fashion and women. In 1913, Chanel opened a boutique in the fashionable town of Deauville financed by Arthur Capel where she introduced clothes suitable for leisure and sport such as jackets, sweaters, her famous marinière(sailor blouse) and of course, hats. She made her clothes out of fabric primarily used for men’s underwear.
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