Power Surge: Six Women Who Rule the Fashion World

Six of fashion’s most forward-thinking women show their strong suits

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Ruven Afanador for TIME

From left to right:

Garance Doré
Blogger
At GaranceDore.fr, the photographer and illustrator documents the street style of chic French women, which has earned her a CFDA award and led to collaborations with Dior, Kate Spade and Reed Krakoff.

Tomoko Ogura
Senior fashion director, Barneys New York
“I love listening to designers talk about what they do,” says the arbiter of Barneys’ selling floor. “How something is made, the fabric they chose, the origin of the print—all of these details stay with me.”

Aliza Licht
Senior vice president, Donna Karan
Her Twitter feed is a chronicle of runway shows, events and dressing celebrities, and 400,000 people follow along. “People love to be a fly on the wall,” she says.

Umindi Francis
Founder, Umindi Francis Consulting Group
After high-level stints at Karla Otto, Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta, she struck out on her own to launch a new agency—in the midst of the Great Recession, no less.

Michelle Lee
KCD casting director
If a fresh face catches your eye on the page or the runway, there’s a good chance Lee was there first. The talent spotter has recruited models for Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Tommy Hilfiger.

Lauren Santo Domingo
Co-founder, Moda Operandi
The fashion editor’s innovative website gives ambitious shoppers an edge on coveted items from upcoming seasons.