Gender gap in the global fashion industry
Since mid-2024, as many as 17 new designers have been appointed at major brands like Gucci and Dior. However, only 4 of them are women. The statistics are even more dismal when looking at the list of the top 30 luxury brands in the Vogue Business Index : only 5 creative directors are women.
At Kering, the fashion giant that owns Balenciaga and Valentino, Louise Trotter is the only female creative director at Bottega Veneta. Similarly, LVMH, the fashion empire encompassing Loewe and Dior, only has Sarah Burton at Givenchy.
Meanwhile, 74% of fashion students are female, but 88% of top design positions are held by men. The last time a woman won Designer of the Year at the Fashion Awards was in 2012 .
This gap exists not only in the creative department. A large proportion of executive leadership positions at these brands are also held by men.
The "ecosystem" of women's brands
In contrast to the global picture, Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) – the fifth largest event in the world of fashion – presents a different picture. Of the 42 brands participating in its 19th season, 26 are founded and run by women.
Designer Stine Goya, who has expanded his eponymous brand to over 30 countries, believes that Denmark's structural gender equality is a key driving force.
Policies on fair pay and support for women returning to work after childbirth have made Copenhagen a fertile ground for independent women-owned brands. "Here, we collaborate and are willing to do things differently. This allows women to build businesses in their own way," Goya shared.
The way fashion is perceived from a female perspective also makes a difference. Cecilie Bahnsen is known for her elaborate dresses paired with sneakers , prioritizing comfort. The Anne Sofie Madsen brand asserts: “Our customers dress not just to be admired, but to be themselves.”
The power of a creative women's community
The high fashion industry has long been associated with an exhausting workload: constant travel, producing 6–8 collections per year, and rarely any time for rest.
But in Copenhagen, many women-led brands are choosing a different, more sustainable path for both creativity and people.
Madsen, who previously worked for Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, paused the brand in 2017 because she didn't want to continue that grueling cycle. Upon her return, she and Caroline Clante set the goal of "building a brand that is connected to life, rather than making it the entirety of life."
This spirit is evident in their operational methods. Bahnsen's sewing workshop remains in Copenhagen, with a flexible workforce of 26 women and 4 men, discouraging weekend overtime. At OpéraSport, work typically ends at 3 pm so the founders can return to their families.
"We don't impose a culture of staying until 6 p.m. The important thing is that the work gets done, and everyone has the freedom to arrange their schedules," Stelter emphasized.
It is this spirit of equality and cooperation that has fostered a creative community that supports each other rather than competes. Designer Stine Goya calls this an “open-mindedness” and an “ambitious creative landscape.”
For Isabella Rose Davey, CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week, this message has significance beyond borders. “We need more modern and progressive thinking like this outside of Denmark, so that women are not left out of top positions,” she said.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/giai-tri/quy-tac-nganh-thoi-trang-dang-duoc-phu-nu-viet-lai-159654.html
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