The 25 Most Powerful People In Menswear

Humans are competitive beasts. It's impossible for us not to look at the world around us and think, "Where do I stack up?" And so we make lists. It's partially to keep us in check and partially to assure ourselves that somewhere out there there's some higher goal that we can one day achieve. We may be wallowing in the lower tiers, but if we look up and say, "Hey, there's number one!" it gives us hope in some way. So, here it is, as of today, this very moment, our assessment on the 25 most powerful people in menswear. Sure, to make a list such as this is critical, but it's also aspirational. The men (and woman) that grace this ballot have tirelessly worked their way up the pyramid and now sit comfortably at the pinnacle, filling positions that ironically make them immune to lists such as this. With that said, this is not for them. It's for us that stand at the bottom, neck bent backwards, looking up with index finger full extended, muttering to ourselves, "One day."

Jake Gallagher is a writer living in New York. Read his blog, Wax Wane, here and follow him on Twitter here.

25. Mark McNairy

Mark McNairy is like that one kid from high school that somehow managed to be friends with everybody. After all you could stock an entire store—a great store at that—with just the brands that McNairy has collaborated with over the years. With a personal pedigree that includes stints at J. Press, Southwick and Billionaire Boys Club, as well as partnerships with everyone from Timberland to Garrett Leight to Sanders, McNairy is the champion of the sportswear meets streetwear aesthetic—a camo-ed out poster boy who has been designing for longer than most of his fans have been alive.

24. Diego Della Valle

It’s easy to see the legacy of Gianni Agnelli when you flip through photos of Diego Della Valle. An Italian socialite in driving loafers, Della Valle has a penchant for wearing things “the wrong way,” much like Agnelli. Scarves worn as ties, sweaters worn as scarves, Della Valle has all the bravado and panache of L’Avvocato, but the real similarity lies in their job descriptions. While Agnelli lead Fiat, Della Valle acts as CEO of Tod’s Footwear, which is not only one of the most successful luxury footwear brands in the world today, but also manages to warrant a name check from Rick Ross.

23. Patrick Grant

We would have been remiss to not include a representative of Savile Row on this list, and no one fills that role better right now than Patrick Grant. Grant has helped to create a new era of Savile Row in which the tailoring houses’ work stretches far beyond their physical storefront. After purchasing the storied, yet nearly defunct Norton & Sons in 2005, Grant revitalized the company and has built it back up to one of the most reputable names on the Row. From there, Grant restarted another storied label, E. Tautz, as a subsidiary of Norton & Sons, even collaborated this year with Barbour on a completely new Norton & Sons designed collection. Along the way, Grant has helped to lend a younger, more lively face to the aging Savile Row and has helped to reinvigorate interest in the thriving London menswear scene.

22. Jeremy Langmead

The murky waters of men’s e-tail became crystal clear on February 18, 2011 when Mr Porter emerged as the innovative online enterprise that we all didn’t know we’d been waiting for. If the past few years have been about the marriage of ecomm and editorial, than Mr Porter could write the damn book on how to brand #menswear for the masses. Well, maybe not masses, given the site’s clear skew towards luxurious offerings, but they now serve as the gold standard not only for shopping, but for informing the public of what exactly “the best of of the best” really means. And we should thank their editor-in-chief, Jeremy Langmead. Langmead has become a champion for modern menswear, demonstrating how a site should look from the landing page to the smallest product description and everywhere in between.

21. Michael Williams

He wasn’t the first menswear blogger, but he has certainly become the most important. As the godfather (or is it blogfather?) of menswear blogging, Michael has shaped how a generation of men read, write and talk about clothing on the Internet. Through his site, A Continuous Lean, he has helped give birth to the heritage movement, documented the shift toward Italian style, set his sights on Japan and generally brought the conversation about well-made, well-fitting goods for men to the forefront. While so many bloggers have faded away over the years, ACL and Michael live on and show no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

20. Rachel Johnson

If the recent upsurge of NBA players caring about how they dress seems a bit too coincidental to you, it’s because it isn’t a coincidence at all. No, it’s the handiwork of Rachel Johnson. With a client roster that includes LeBron James, Amar'e Stoudemire and Chris Paul, Johnson has been outfitting some of the hardwood’s best players in outfits that would’ve once seemed impossible for the NBA. Graphic tees and baggy shorts have since been replaced by three piece suits, Thom Browne shirts and peak lapels, and it’s all thanks to one unassuming stylist who wasn’t afraid to change the game forever.

19. Josh Peskowitz

With a background that includes Fader, Vibe, Esquire, GQ, Gilt and now Bloomingdale’s, where he acts as men’s fashion director, Josh Peskowitz is a true menswear renaissance man. From his early editorial days, to his role in the legendary men.style.com video series “In The Closet”, to his current work guiding the overall vision for a major department store, Pesko has taken on all facets of this industry at unfathomably high levels. And, of course, it’s impossible to bring up his name without mentioning his ability create trends on the street level. Name someone else who can wear a soft shouldered sportcoat, kimono and a pair of New Balances without looking like an overstuffed Tumblr dashboard come to life.

18. Nick Wooster

It’s impossible to speak about Nick Wooster without delving into cliches. Whether it’s “this man needs no introduction,” or “what can be said about Nick Wooster that hasn’t been said already,” or “no one has done classic meets modern quite like Nick,” or “what other man can wear a camo blazer and not look nauseatingly try-hard?” Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get my drift. While most people know his style, not his resume, Wooster has been one of the leaders of this industry throughout the past decade, helping to pave the way for a new landscape in which men actually care about how they look. Arguably the most sought after hired gun working in men’s clothing today, Nick already did it all before the first picture was ever snapped.

17. Steven Kolb

In the past, the dividing line between menswear and fashion was as clear as night and day, but recently that line has become increasingly obscure, as writers, editors and publications that once steered clear of the “capital F” have begun to embrace it head on. Much credit is due to the Council of Fashion Designers of America, or CFDA, for fueling this change of direction by lending a healthy competitive spirit and helping hand to the entire scene. Today, Steven Kolb acts as the CEO of the CFDA, and the organization’s efforts to harness new talent and award great design is unprecedented. Through programs such as the Incubator, the CFDA has done more and more to help out up-and-coming men’s designers.

16. Tommy Fazio

Following terms at Calvin Klein, Bergdorf Goodman, Simon Spurr and Nordstrom, Tommy Fazio was appointed the President of PROJECT in 2012 and has since begun to redefine that way that menswear approaches tradeshows. With the introduction of the “Tents at Project”, Fazio has begun to shed away the staid atmosphere of traditional trade shows, bringing an American tradeshow closer to the frenzied pedigree of Pitti Uomo. In doing so, Fazio has brought a whole new roster of upscale brands to the tradeshow scene and has helped to transform something into a crucial industry event.

15. Yasuto Kamoshita

If you’ve never heard of Yasuto Kamoshita, don’t feel like you’re out of touch, because the creative director of United Arrows has only just begun to arrive on American shores. As one of the founding members of United Arrows in 1989, Kamoshita has helped guide Japan’s style for over a decade, blending trad, Italian, English and classic Japanese influences, packaging it all for the Land of the Rising Sun. When people say that the Japanese do American style better than we do, they’re talking about Kamoshita and they’re not wrong.

14. Jean Touitou

You could fill a book (and then maybe another book) with Jean Touitou quotes, but whether you find the man inspirational or merely controversial for the sake of being controversial, Touitou’s career is one of the most impressive of any designer working in contemporary menswear. Touitou founded A.P.C. in 1987 as a response to the ill-fitting clothes that had come to dominate men’s fashion. A.P.C. was slim, dark, and sleek. It was rock star clothing for the man that had never picked up a guitar. Touitou had perfected the Parisian cool guy look and he peddled it to the masses through collections brimming with selvedge denim, leather jackets and basics. While most men of his age are beginning to settle down, Touitou’s profile has only grown over the past few years, thanks to collaborations with Kanye West, Nike and Carhartt.

13. Tom Kalenderian

Ask any menswear head what his favorite department store happens to be and he will probably say Barneys instantly, not because he’s actually considered the question, but because proclaiming Barneys is almost a knee jerk reaction. Since making their way to the top of the department store mountain, Barneys has done everything to stay there, and so much of that is thanks to Tom Kalenderian, their fearless Executive Vice President of menswear. No one else can fill a store (read: a fleet of stores) quite like Kalenderian, as he directs a team that simultaneously buys En Noir and The Soloist alongside Shipley & Halmos and Ami, with Camoshita and Michael Bastian thrown in there for good measure. Barneys is a store for everyone (well, everyone that has money that is) and Kalenderian’s ability to cover all bases is unmatched, which is why topping Barneys is next to impossible.

12. Billy Reid

Reid first rose to fame with his original line William Reid, winning the CFDA’s Best New Menswear Designer award in 2001, but when William Reid was forced to close its door just a year later, Billy hit the reset button and came back full force in 2004 with his eponymous line. The timing was perfect and Reid quickly became one of the forefathers of the mid-aught heritage movement. Reid’s brand of southern luxury helped to usher in a new era of high-end Americana, as he found an audience in everyone from selvedge cuffed workwear fiends, businessmen with a penchant for roped shoulders and, most recently, even Anna Wintour herself, who famously sat smirking in the front row of Reid’s Fall 2011 show. It’s because of this that Reid continues to introduce “the other side” to the wonders of menswear in an approachable, albeit incredibly American form.

11. Kanye West

Ignoring for a second Mr. West’s prowess as a rapper/producer, Kanye’s side steps into fashion have recently become all the more legitimate with the debut of Kanye A.P.C., his own eponymous fashion collection, numerous sneaker collaborations and overlord influence on current street trends. Constantly shedding past images in favor of complete style transformations, Kanye has moved forward as the poster boy for the high fashion meets streetwear movement. With his A.P.C. collection selling out in a matter of minutes and countless Kanye lookalikes popping up all over the place, few men have more power over the way younger generations dresses right now than Kanye does.

10. Tim Blanks

If you’ve gotten this far, then you can easily tell that I am no Tim Blanks. This is not a self-depricating slight to myself, so much as it is a nod to Blanks, who is arguably the greatest style writer of our time. Blanks’ ability to employ the unconventional and unexpected with the vivid when discussing a collection of men’s clothing is truly unmatched. To put it simply, Blanks makes fashion seem much greater than a few pieces of fabric merely stitched together. No one can interpret menswear quite like Blanks and his reviews for Style.com not only report, but give meaning, continously elevating what it means to simply design clothing for men.

9. Thom Browne

Whether you love the Thom Browne look or loathe it, it is impossible to deny TB’s hand in making the suit relevant again. Since arriving on the scene in 2001, Thom has consistently reinterpreted past standards and challenged what it means to dress formally. With his shrunken suits, toned down palette and occasionally off-the-wall designs, Browne has racked up scores of fans (and, for that matter, detractors) over the years. But at the end of the day, Browne made men choose to wear suits again and for that tip our hat, even if it’s a few sizes too small.

8. Brunello Cucinelli

Here we have the man who sits in a cashmere castle. The Brunello Cucinelli story is so remarkable because, in a time when brands are doing whatever it takes to streamlineprocesses and cut corners to turn a profit, Cucinelli has managed to build an empire based on a classicist approach. Headquartered in the small town of Solomeo, Italy, Cucinelli utilizes home-spun production, ethical standards and a philosophical ideology to create a business that has come to redefine luxury. Not only is Cucinelli renowned for his opulent knits, earthy palette and unmistakable designs, but the man also manages to turn an impressive profit, with a business that is now literally worth a billion dollars. That’s right, a billion.

7. Scott Schuman And Tommy Ton

We hate to group these two living legends together, but in this day and age you can’t mention one without the other. Where street style was once a women’s game, it was Tommy and Scott that kick started a new, male-centric street style frenzy when they began turning their lenses towards the suited and booted attendees, both at the shows and on the streets. Over the past couple years, few men have helped to shape the direction of trends quite like Tommy and Scott, who have used their photos to focus on the good, the bad and the peacocky, leaving millions of reblogs in their wake.

6. Leonardo Del Vecchio

The polarizing (no pun intended) founder and chairman of Luxottica has become the most important person in eyewear. Like a Rich Uncle Pennybags come to life, Del Vecchio not only owns brands like Persol, Oakley and Ray-Ban, but he also owns the stores that sell these brands, including Sunglass Hut and LensCrafters. Oh, and all those branded sunglasses like Ralph Lauren, Prada, Versace, and Chanel? Yeah, that’s Luxottica too. Del Vecchio’s overall profile has not only made him the center to the modern eyewear industry, but it’s also made him insanely wealthy, as he currently sits comfortably as the second wealthiest man in Italy.

5. Alexander Wang

Before his thirtieth birthday, Alexander Wang has already established himself as a luminary of contemporary menswear. With his simple, comfortable designs and draped out silhouettes, Wang’s signature aesthetic signaled the start of a new wave. His clothes appeal to a younger crowd that is more concerned with clothes than perhaps any before it, but not with the classic tailoring that has been associated with menswear past. Wang’s products are clean, sleek and minimal with a streetwise edge, ultimately making him the designer of the moment and the first choice for trendsetting rappers like A$AP Rocky.

4. Jim Moore

Jim Moore has been running the fashion show at GQ for longer than most of us have been alive. For 33 years Moore’s business cards have read Gentleman’s Quarterly and, almost more impressingly, for the past eighteen years, those cards have read “Creative Director”. As the game has changed around him, Moore has helped keep GQ as relevant as ever to new audiences of men that suddenly care about dressing well all over again. With the landscape of menswear changing on a daily basis, GQ has remained the industry leader under Moore’s direction, covering both capital F fashion and the more relatable side of every day style.

3. Mickey Drexler

Mickey Drexler could easily be called the man who brought menswear to the masses. As the CEO of J. Crew, Drexler has helped to turn terms like “OCBD,” “selvedge denim” and “Harris Tweed” into household names. Drexler and Co. have packaged up the dominate menswear aesthetic of the late 2000’s, branded it as J. Crew and sold it in malls across America, helping men to dress better along the way. The plaid shirt, dark jeans, New Balance look that J. Crew has peddled for the past few years has now become a uniform across the States and beyond, and with the recent introduction of dedicated formal wear shops, and the spread of the now revered J. Crew Men’s shop, it seems that Drexler’s reign isn’t going to end anytime soon.

2. Tadashi Yanai

If Drexler peddled the Americana look to America, than it’s Tadashi Yanai that has peddled the everything look to, well, everywhere. It’s tough to pinpoint what the exact Uniqlo look is, but I can say that it’s clean, well-fitting, affordable and works for just about everyone. Yanai has somehow created the universal male wardrobe, stocking his stores with enough products that no matter what your style may be you will never leave a Uniqlo empy handed. Yanai’s one stop shops have long spread throughout Japan, China, and the rest of the Far East, but it’s Uniqlo’s recent immersion into the American and European markets that have elevated the brand to become the Ikea of fashion.

1. Ralph Lauren

What began with ties has now become a nearly five billion dollar business, all consistently lead by one man, Ralph Lauren. Lauren’s influence over modern menswear is indescribable, since, after all, this is THE man that has shaped American sportswear for almost fifty years, spawned countless other designers, given rise to the preppy look and invented the shop-in-shop—the list goes on. With an empire that spans the entire world over, no other brand, and no other man comes, close to being as powerful as Ralph Lauren.