Pioneers of the Fashion Industry
Words Bethany Boyo
Fashion has always been a breeding ground for greatness. Whether from humble beginnings or from wealthy backgrounds, these pioneers stepped out and made a name for themselves, either by a platform built by a family name or one they carved out for themselves. From Charles Frederick Worth who is known as the father of couture to Coco Chanel, an orphan who began as a hat maker before going on to change the aesthetic of women’s fashion forever. Fashion editor Bethany Boyo, looks at the pioneers of the industry - not just designers, but businessmen and women and tech geniuses that have changed the landscape of fashion over the years.
Credit: FashionStock.com / Shutterstock.comOlivier Rousteing, the young creative genius who sits at the helm of the luxury brand Balmain as its creative director, is one of the examples that fashion gives us, that it is possible to break the mould. Appointed as creative director of Balmain at just 24 years old, Rousteing came from very humble beginnings. Rousteing lived in an orphanage from the age of seven, until he was adopted and raised by a childless white couple in Bordeaux, France. Rousteing struggled through school being an outcast and bullied by his peers. At 16, he made the decision to find out more about his origins, only to discover that French law protects the decision of any mother who chooses to give her child up for adoption, to remain anonymous. Rousteing didn’t give up and with the support of his adoptive parents, he was able to uncover that his birth mother was of Somali descent and his birth father from Ethiopia. Being gifted in design from an early age he eventually went on to study fashion at the École supérieure des arts et techniques de la mode (ESMOD) in Paris. Upon graduating, he joined Roberto Cavalli and stayed there for five years at the helm of both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections, receiving recognition for both collections during his time there. In what was an unexpected move for many, Rousteing left Cavalli to join Balmain as the head of women’s ready-to-wear, under the direction of Christophe Decarnin, who made the decision to step down after suffering from a severe burn out in April 2011. Rousteing was then named Creative Director of the luxury French fashion house at just age 24.Since his debut, Rousteing has brought Balmain into the digital age, with his use of social media and the creation of the ‘Balmain Army’ featuring celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Jordan Dunn and many more. Rousteing has transformed the fashion house, keeping the sharp tailoring from previous collections, however with the addition of his unique couture style.
Credit: FashionStock.com / Shutterstock.comThe business world of fashion is no less cutthroat that the design world. Names such as Natalie Massanet, a self-made success and founder of Net-a-Porter, is known as a pioneer of the industry for her resilience. Born in California in 1966 to a journalist and a Chanel model, Natalie grew up in different parts of the world, she studied English Literature at the University of California. Fashion was always a core part of her growth, after a year's stint working as a Model and stylist in Tokyo, she went on to work for Women’s wear Daily and then became Assistant to Isabel Blow at Tatler. At the age of 33 Massanet stumbled upon the idea for an online luxury fashion eTail site, and with the help of her then husband Arnaud Massanet, she raised £1.2 million as a start-up investment that would lead to the fruition of Net-a-porter. Massenet started Net-a-Porter at a time when the dot.com bubble was set to burst, pregnant with her first child and with a team of 15 people, she used the bedroom in her Chelsea apartment as stock storage and her bathroom, to keep the renowned Net-a-Porter packaging. When it was officially launched in 2000, it removed doubts of it being solely online without a brick-and-mortar store, showing the world that luxury could exist online and sell successfully without a physical store. Natalie Massanet having grown her small ecommerce business into the giant we know as Porter Group, decided to step down in 2015 weeks before the company merged with the Italian ecommerce company Yoox Group. It came as a surprise to many when Natalie Massanet was announced as a non-executive co-chair of the Farfetch Group and even more of a surprise when Farfetch carved out a space for itself on the Stock Market filing for an IPO in 2018 New York Stock Exchange at an estimated valuation of $5 billion. Massanet embodies the word visionary.
Credit: Cubankite / Shutterstock.comFinally, the man who granted us access to the happenings of the fashion industry and insight into what's to come. The Business of Fashion is renowned today for being fashion’s go to for news, trends and market research. Imran Amed, its founder, started off blogging in 2007. His blog BOF, was something he would do in his spare time in his flat in Notting Hill. He was the main contributor for BOF until 2013. The website now has over 75 contributing writers, with nearly half a million people receiving emails from the website six days a week. Amed started off as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co where he went from industry to industry ascertaining why a company wasn’t reaching its full potential. At 29, Amed dealt with depression and felt unfulfilled in the industry he was in. His life changed after a 10-day silent retreat, which he attended, and the wheels of fate began to turn for him, with friends already in the fashion industry. Amed being an analytical individual, realised that there was a gulf between the business and the creative sides of fashion. At first the idea of BOF was not deemed a success, but it got him into the right doors to meet the right people. He began consulting for LVMH and blogging for BOF on the side. In 2007, when the first iPhone was launched, it was a blessing in disguise for BOF as the social media boom transformed it from a blog to a notable and informative website. The financial crisis of 2008 also caused the fashion industry to adapt and focus on its bottom line, giving BOF the opportunity to become a reputable website for insights, trends and informative topics. Today, BOF has become a voice many listen to in the industry.
Credit: eversummerphoto / Shutterstock.comResilience, strength, uniqueness and ability to rise above the fray - these are the commonalities found in the pioneers of fashion. Regardless of background, colour or sexuality, to be the best, you have to believe you are and then work to make it your reality.