Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
LONDON, United Kingdom — The global fashion business is animated by the ideas, emotions and actions of a core community of influential insiders. Since 2013, The Business of Fashion has been hand-curating a list of these select influencers, resulting in the annual BoF 500. Each year, we blend our own on-the-ground intelligence with hundreds of nominations from current and former BoF 500 members, unearthing interesting new names from across the world.
This year, the BoF 500 is more diverse than ever before, with 113 new members representing every exciting facet of this trillion-dollar industry. They join a host of established names, from designers, executives and retailers to media professionals, technology entrepreneurs, models and muses. Together, these are the people shaping the global fashion industry in 2016. Here are the 17 newly inducted models and muses.
A$AP Rocky — Entertainer, New York
The hip-hop sensation has collaborated with J.W. Anderson and Guess Originals and appeared in campaigns for DKNY and Dior Homme.
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Adwoa Aboah — Model, London
The model is much more than one of fashion’s most striking faces, her Gurls Talk project inspires discussion of feminist issues.
Ashley Graham — Model, New York
The model has emerged as one of the most recognisable advocates of positive body image and gave a TED Talk on the subject in 2016.
Bella Hadid — Model, New York
The model has walked for Givenchy, Tom Ford and Chanel, starred in high-profile campaigns for Calvin Klein and Balmain and is a Dior beauty ambassador.
Beyoncé Knowles — Entertainer, New York
The 2016 CFDA Fashion Icon Award winner proved just how powerful her brand is when the release of her visual album “Lemonade” stopped the Internet for an entire weekend.
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CL — Entertainer, Seoul
The South Korean force of nature is a pop culture phenomenon and is muse to a number of designers including Alexander Wang, Jean Paul Gaultier and Jeremy Scott.
Jaden and Willow Smith — Entertainers, Los Angeles
The teen siblings refuse to live in the shadow of their famous parents: Willow is a face of Chanel and Jaden has starred in a Louis Vuitton womenswear campaign.
Jared Leto — Entertainer, Los Angeles
The long time fashion plate, and Alessandro Michele’s most famous male muse, is the face of Gucci’s new fragrance Gucci Not Guilty.
Kiko Mizuhara — Model, Actress, Tokyo
A favourite of Karl Lagerfeld, she has collaborated with Opening Ceremony and is one of the five most followed people on social media in Japan.
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Lineisy Montero — Model, New York
The Dominican model is a runway favourite and has appeared in campaigns for Prada and Chanel.
Luhan — Entertainer, Beijing
The pop star and fashion darling boasts a huge social media following and is considered a key bridge between brands and the Chinese millennial.
Pooja Mor — Model, Mumbai/New York
An engineer by training, the Indian model has blossomed into an international star after winning a regional contest.
Renata Litvinova — Actress, Filmmaker, Creative Director, Numéro Russia, Moscow
The filmmaker turned actress casts a unique influence over the Russian fashion industry and is close with Vetements and Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia and super-stylist Lotta Volkova.
Rianne van Rompaey — Model, New York
The classical beauty is a Louis Vuitton campaign regular and has become a runway staple for some of the world’s most prestigious brands.
Ruth Bell — Model, London
After a breakout campaign shot by David Sims for Alexander McQueen, the crop-haired model has walked the runway for the likes of Chanel, Fendi and Saint Laurent.
Taylor Hill — Model, New York
Having booked the prestigious Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show after her first casting with the brand, the breakout star now appears in campaigns for Topshop and Miu Miu.
Zayn Malik — Entertainer, London
Dubbed one of the new icons of Versace, the former boy band member is now a front row fixture at the biggest runway shows and has signed a collaboration with Giuseppe Zanotti.
A collectable directory of the people shaping the global fashion industry in 2016 is included in the fourth annual BoF 500 special print edition. Click here to order your copy.
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