Skip to main content
BoF Logo

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Does Fashion Know What Women Want?

This Paris Fashion Week, the delicate balance between fantasy and function faltered, raising questions about whether designers truly understand the women they dress.
Looks from Alaïa, Jean Paul Gaultier and Maison Margiela.
Looks from Alaïa, Jean Paul Gaultier and Maison Margiela. (BoF Team)

Fashion as expressed on the runway has always been about a delicate balance between fantasy and function.

Please sign in to ensure you can read our agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice. Or get in touch at support@businessoffashion.com if you experience difficulties.

Further Reading

Fashion’s Musical Chairs Ends — With Men in Almost Every Seat.

There’s no denying that the biggest luxury brands badly need a creative reboot. But while the designers who got the top jobs are more than qualified, the lack of female representation speaks to deficiencies in how the industry considers its talent pipeline, writes Imran Amed.

The Emerging Designers Pushing Fashion Forward

The up-and-coming talents joining The BoF 500 Class of 2025 are emphasising heritage, craftsmanship and sustainability as they build globally relevant brands that drive the industry forward.

About the authors
Diana Pearl
Diana Pearl

Diana Pearl is Senior News and Features Editor at The Business of Fashion. She is based in New York and drives BoF’s marketing and media coverage.

Cathaleen Chen
Cathaleen Chen

Cathaleen Chen is Retail Editor at The Business of Fashion. She is based in New York and drives BoF’s coverage of the retail and direct-to-consumer sectors.

© 2026 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from Luxury
How rapid change is reshaping the tradition-soaked luxury sector in Europe and beyond.

What Happened at Coperni Owner Tomorrow Ltd.?

The London-based showroom-turned-brand incubator, which also owns Martine Rose, is being sold to Italy’s Andrea Ciccoli. Founder Stefano Martinetto breaks down the move for BoF in this week’s High Margin luxury newsletter.


view more
Latest News & Analysis
Unrivalled, world class journalism across fashion, luxury and beauty industries.

The Industry That Eats Its Young

Small fashion labels have always been shortchanged by their wholesale partners. A wave of high-profile bankruptcies has turned a structural injustice into an existential crisis. There is a better way to do business, writes Imran Amed.


The Zara-Fication of John Galliano

Fashion’s enfant terrible is trading exclusivity for the mass market. Is it the ultimate fashion coup, or the final surrender of prestige?


The Impact of War on Fashion’s Supply Chain

Textile hubs are already feeling the cascading risks of the conflict in Iran as Washington ramps up forced labour probes to revive tariffs, while decarbonisation in fashion’s factories might finally have a standard to go off of.


VIEW MORE
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON