Women in Luxury

In a business that caters predominantly to women, it still seems somehow paradoxical that so many men remain in charge. And yet if you take a closer look at the true pioneers of global luxury, going right back to Coco Chanel, above, it's clear that when a fundamental shift occurs in the industry, it is often the work of a powerful and creative woman. The entrepreneurs, CEOs and designers (there's even a muse) presented on the following pages are most often defined by their determination and fearlessness—from the CEO who is reinventing and reviving the YSL brand to the entrepreneur who brought the Internet big-ticket luxury to the designer who gave Dior fine jewelry a whole New Look.