Power players: Meet the little known business minds running the fashion industry

Forget influencers - these are the people that really pull the strings in the fashion world

Between the glamour of catwalks and red carpets and the scandal and intrigue of creative designer musical chairs, it can be easy to forget that fashion is a business with one sole aim: to make money. And while, of course, the designers who create the clothes and the models and celebrities who wear them have a huge impact on the success of a brand, it’s behind-the-scenes that the really important decisions are being made. From the CEOs of major corporations to the super buyers who can make or break the fortunes of a new house, here are the fashion business minds to know about now.

​François-Henri Pinault

Occupation: CEO, Kering

Bio: Okay, since you’ve landed on a fashion site, chances are this is a name you do know - but as the CEO of one of the most powerful luxury conglomerates in the world, we could hardly leave him off. Pinault began working at his father’s retail conglomerate, PPR, in 1987 and worked his way up the ladder, becoming  CEO and President in 2005.

Once in the top job he transformed the company into a luxury powerhouse by merging with the Gucci Group and acquiring, among other high-end brands, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Ulysse Nardin and Christopher Kane. The group took in revenues of €15.9 billion in 2019.

Memorable moment: Donating $113 million to help repair the Notre-Dame Cathedral after it was damaged during a fire in 2019.

Sidney Toledano

Occupation: CEO, LVMH Fashion Group

Bio: While not the top dog at LVMH - that honour goes to Bernard Arnault - when it comes to fashion, there are few people more influential than Sidney Toledano. The former Dior CEO now heads up LVMH’s fashion group, overseeing brands including Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Dior, Kenzo, Celine, Loewe and Fendi.

Toledano is also the vice-president of the Institut Francais de la Mode, a committee member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and, until 2019, was president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Masculine. See we told you: influential.

Best quote: “Fashion is a permanent pendulum and elegance presents itself differently.”

​Alison Loehnis

Occupation: President, Luxury Division, Yoox Net-A-Porter

Bio: With roles at LVMH, The Walt Disney Company and Saatchi and Saatchi under her belt, Loehnis joined Net-A-Porter in 2007 as VP of sales and marketing. After helping to launch The Outnet and Mr Porter, she was promoted to President of Net-A-Porter in 2011 - putting her in charge of one of the world’s largest luxury e-tailers with the power to propel brands to the forefront of consumer consciousness. In her current role a President of the company’s Luxury Division, she also oversees Mr Porter and the firm’s media and publishing arm.

Advice to live by: “Don't worry about what your CV says, go for what you want.”

​Stephanie Phair

Occupation: Chief Strategy Officer, Farfetch

Bio: Having cut her teeth at Issey Miyake, American Vogue and Net-a-Porter, Phair’s official day job may be at online luxury marketplace Farfetch - but she wears many more (presumably impeccably designed) hats than that.

​As well as sitting on the boards of Moncler and venture capital firm Felix Capital, in 2018 Phair was appointed Chair of the British Fashion Council, making her the most important player at events including London Fashion Week and the Fashion Awards. Alongside BFC chief executive Caroline Rush, when it comes to ambassadors for British fashion, there's no-one more influential than Phair.

Defining moment: Moving to New York after graduating from Oxford - with no job and no plan.

Francesca Bellettini

Occupation: CEO and president, Saint Laurent

Bio: Stints at Bottega Veneta, Helmut Lang and Prada set Bellettini up for the top job at Saint Laurent - where she has led the brand to growth resulting in over €2 billion in annual turnover since joining in 2013. It was no surprise to anyone plugged into the French fashion industry then, when, alongside her committee position on the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, she was chosen as the new president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Féminine in 2019.

​Her first move was to approve Aalto, Atlein, Jacquemus, Koché, Lacoste, Patou, Victoria/Tomas and Y/Project as members - while also picking up a French Legion d’Honore, of course.

Visionary decision: Recruiting Anthony Vacarello to be her partner-in-expansion-crime at Saint Laurent.

​Pablo Isla

Occupation: Executive chairman, Inditex

Bio: A lawyer who started his career at some of Spain’s biggest banks, Isla may not be the typical fashion figure but, as CEO of Inditex - the group which owns Zara, Massimo Dutti and Pull and Bear among others - his influence on the everyday wardrobes of the masses is incalculable.

Joining the company as deputy chairman in 2005, he has led growth from 2,692 stores to more than 7,000 today. His world may not be high fashion but, as controller of some of the high street's biggest brands, this only makes his impact on the fashion industry even greater.

Current project: Promising to reduce Inditex's emissions by 30% and water consumption by 50% by 2020 as well as removing single-use plastics by 2023.

john idol

Occupation: CEO and chairman, Capri Holdings

Bio: An all-American success story, Idol held senior positions at Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan before joining Michael Kors in 2003 and recently led its transformation into Capri Holdings.

​Under his leadership the group has acquired Versace and Jimmy Choo, creating America’s first luxury conglomerate and putting the company squarely up against the likes of LVMH and Kering.

Money maker: Since guiding Michael Kors to an IPO in 2011, Idol has made an estimated $400 million in share sales.

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