Contrary to common assumptions, eighty percent of fashion school students are women, yet only sixteen percent go on to manage brands. Forty percent join the design teams of large companies, while merely fourteen percent reach top leadership. The article Tailor Battalion: Forgotten Women Who Build Fashion, authored by Leticia Garcia and published by Carpe Noctem, does more than highlight the gender biases and traditionalism that have long undervalued women’s labor in the industry. It also preserves the stories of people and moments that official histories have often overlooked.
This context recalls Elizabeth Hawes, one of the first Americans to present her designs in Paris in 1931. “I disliked both fashion dynamics and the clients with double-barreled surnames,” she remarked. Long before Pierre Cardin introduced a mass-produced signature line in 1959, Hawes helped inaugurate a movement toward ready-to-wear that aimed to democratize clothing and make affordable options available to everyone. This democratic impulse aligns with feminist ideals and pushes for better working conditions in workshops, a mission that stirred controversy and strong debate. Hawes passed away in 1971 at the Chelsea Hotel in New York, a reminder of how many pioneering designers faced a harsh, unforgiving industry climate.
Ann Lowe also faced profound barriers in her career. At the height of the corset era and during Christian Dior’s New Look, a boutique opened on Lexington Avenue, one of Manhattan’s most upscale pockets. Lowe dressed Hollywood stars such as Olivia de Havilland and, in 1953, created the iconic wedding gown worn by Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Yet, the fact that Lowe was African American led to unequal pay compared with white designers, and she eventually faced bankruptcy in 1963, closing her shop. Lowe’s story highlights how talent and opportunity were unevenly distributed due to racial discrimination, even at the pinnacle of fashion’s social stage.
For decades, labels sometimes carried names that concealed deeper identities and connections. The designer Sonia Rosenberg signed her work with a Jewish name, and for a long time, that influential early-1950s circle was largely overlooked in captions and acknowledgments. The sentiment remains: she did not seek fame or money. She pursued her art to see how far she could go, and how long others would permit her to progress.
The book delves into a broader tapestry of Spanish tailoring and its notable figures. Álvaro de Retana expanded this narrative with a belligerent wit in one of his famous couplets, while Rosa Genoni’s many accolades appear alongside those of Made in Italy legends and boho-chic pioneers like Thea Porter. Porter’s approach encouraged turning unused clothes into cushions or curtains, a reminder of fashion’s relationship to home and functionality. The pages also give space to Barcelonan designers such as Asunción Bastida and Carmen Mir, two successful businesswomen who, in García’s words, stand out because they do not receive the same posthumous recognition as some of their more famous peers.
In the current century, towering names like Chanel, Dior, and their successors appoint women as creative directors, including Virginie Viard, Maria Grazia Chiuri, and Sarah Burton. Does this signal a new paradigm? The narrative suggests that luxury brands are not hiring women simply because they have feminist leanings; they hire them because women now lead and insist on clothing that reflects real life—items that prioritize comfort, practicality, and wearability as much as aesthetics. The book argues that women’s designs bring a lighter touch, pockets, zippers, and a broader sizing spectrum that shift fashion away from exclusive luxury toward inclusive practicality. The underlying message emphasizes artistic responsibility and the different sensibilities women bring to clothing design—sensibilities that include movement, ease, and daily usefulness rather than mere display.
Additionally, the author notes a hopeful thread for the future: leadership remains scarce, and the fashion world can mute certain conversations when convenient. Yet there is a growing willingness to address difficult topics, such as anorexia and racism, and to acknowledge that open discussion is finally taking root within the industry. The reflection closes with a sense of cautious optimism about what lies ahead, acknowledging the ongoing need for visibility and equity in fashion’s corridors of power.
Contrasting the past and present, the volume underscores a persistent tension between recognition and obscurity in fashion’s history. It shines a light on the contributions of women who built the industry, often without the same recognition afforded their male counterparts. The narrative weaves together many voices, from early pioneers who challenged norms to contemporary trendsetters who shape the aesthetics and ethics of modern fashion. It prompts readers to reconsider who counts as a designer and how the stories surrounding fashion are told, archived, and celebrated.