There has been an unprecedented number of creative directors shifts in fashion over the last few years, including more than a dozen changes in 2025.

But in the midst of the shuffle, the industry has replaced three positions formerly held by women with men. 

In June, Jonathan Anderson took over men’s, women’s and couture Dior, and in the process replaced womenswear designer Maria Grazia Chiuri. In March, longtime Versace creative director Donatella Versace stepped down, ceding the artistic director role to Dario Vitale. And at the end of last year, Matthieu Blazy succeeded Virginie Viard at Chanel. Looking a little further back, Lorenzo Serafini was named creative director of Alberta Ferretti after Ferretti stepped down from her role in October 2024.

The number of women in creative leadership positions are dwindling and the dearth of inclusivity is especially noteworthy as luxury continues to be challenged by a consumer spending slump that’s expected to last until at least 2027. There’s an even more dire designer diversity story to tell outside of gender, with Pharell Willaims at Louis Vuitton, Maximilian Davis at Ferragamo, Olivier Rousteing at Balmain and James M. Jeter at Polo Ralph Lauren serving as the only non-White men designing for major brands. Sandra Choi at Jimmy Choo as the only non-White woman creative director.

At press time, the luxury industry still has a few women helming the brands they either founded or took over from family, including Miuccia Prada at Prada and Miu Miu, Rei Kawakubo at Comme des Garçons and Stella McCartney at her namesake brand. In addition, Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski has spent more than a decade as artistic director of Hermès after replacing Christophe Lemaire in 2014.

These are the remaining five women who hold fashion’s top creative director spots.