Fashion's Gods and Monsters

Imran Amed, Founder and Editor of The Business of Fashion. Known for his business savvy and highly economical approach to reporting on the fashion world.

There are the good, the bad and the ugly within every industry, and all have some influence on the progression of that industry. Popular fashion business journal, The Business of Fashion, has released a list of the fashion industry's 500 power players of the game. The list features well-known figures such as Karl Lagerfeld (Creative Director of Chanel and Fendi), Grace Coddington (Creative Director of American Vogue), Alexander Wang (Creative Director of Balenciaga and Alexander Wang) and Anna Dello Russo (Editor at Large of Vogue Japan). 

Grace Coddington, Creative Director of American Vogue. Known for her opulent and highly produced fashion photo shoots which glorify the artistic vision of fashion designers worldwide.

The list comprises categories including models and muses, retailers, executives, designers, and media. Whether these figures have been in the industry for 60, 20 or just 5 years, they have and are the driving fashion force of the world. Obviously, fashion journalists, bloggers and writers have influenced me, and I have listed some of my favourites from the list and why they have done so...

Bill Cunningham

Bill Cunningham brought about the concept of "street style" photography, with his candid yet expertly composed photographs showcasing the multitude of fashionable personalities throughout New York. This modest man lives under the means most fashion industry professionals are given, which makes him more of an inspirational figure to look up to. His dedication to his work is rare to come by, and more so his humble personality. 

Angelo Flaccavento

Angelo Flaccavento is a successful Italian fashion journalist, whose artful writing skills are just as known as his effortlessly rugged yet suave look. His articles focus on fashion as a reflection of the changes within society, in all of its aspects. This unique approach to fashion reporting has made him the go-to guy for a deeper and well-rounded understanding of designers' collections.

Tim Blanks

Mr. Blanks is the Editor of Style.com, one of the world's most reliable fashion resources. This fashion veteran's ability to decipher collections and shows and its underlying meanings are applaudable, indicative of the man's intellectual skills, which granted him entry to university at the age of 15. 

Diane Pernet

Diane Pernet is a figure whose work has unfortunately gone unnoticed outside the world of fashion. Her signature all-black look brings such an aura of mystery around her, most likely a reflection of her modesty about the extraordinary work she does. This self-assured and confident woman was and is the first fashion blogger (for A Shaded View on Fashion) - her work starting the technological wave of journalism in the fashion industry. Not only that, but Diane curates and runs a highly anticipated yearly fashion film festival.

Franca Sozzani

Franca Sozzani is a petite woman with a big opinion. As Editor-in-Chief, Ms. Sozzani brought a renewed political and non-prejudicial perspective of many social classes throughout the pages of Vogue (Vogue Italia). Significant works of hers include "The Black Issue" - an issue of Vogue focused completely on the glorification of black women and their beauty and "Makeover" - an issue of Vogue that stagnates the poisonous trend of plastic surgery. 

Susanna Lau

Susanna Lau, commonly known as Susie Bubble, is an eccentric fashion enthusiast who gained fame with her blog, Style Bubble. Her fashion choices and distinguishable style are reflective of the blog - one of the few that focus on the more outrageous and avant-garde streams of fashion. Some within the industry believe she is the modern, tech-savvy version of style icon, Iris Apfel. 

Jefferson Hack

Mr. Hack is the founder of one of my favourite fashion magazines, Dazed & Confused, which is known for its non-conventional approach to reporting about not only fashion, but all creative industries. Despite the man's highly dapper style, his journalistic work shows a more artistic and cult vision of the world of fashion, which has most likely influenced the modern-day hipster, unbeknownst to members of this subculture. With the addition of Another and Another Man magazines, his expansion into luxury fashion journalism has seen him pour more rebelliousness to the higher ranks of fashion.

Katie Grand

What a coincidence that this incredible woman's surname is Grand, for it truly describes her styling and journalistic work, and not in the sense of luxury but more so imaginativeness. Katie Grand is the Editor-in-Chief of LOVE Magazine, a mecca for avant-garde fashion lovers. The magazine is a wild and free journal documenting the creativeness of designers, artists and the like that borders on the limitless.

TO VIEW THE COMPLETE LIST, HEAD TO WWW.BUSINESSOFFASHION.COM

Images courtesy of Searching for Style, Fresh Wall Street, The Sartorialist, Show Studio, Girl Meets Whirl, Ego Design, Grazia Italy, Purple, Oyster and Blog Diner