5 Fashion Influencers You Need To Know

Believe it or not, Anna Wintour is not the only person who shapes the fashion industry. Thousands of editors, designers, stylists, business owners, and makeup artists influence fashion in a big way. To show exactly who these people are, Business of Fashion has put together an initiative called the BoF 500, that lists the current top 500 industry influencers all around the globe.

As it stands right now, the list is pretty incredible. But what's especially fascinating about the BoF 500 is how many of the list are not household names. There are a lot of people doing incredible people doing incredible things for fashion, and yes, many of them are women. Here are some of the ladies you may not have heard of who keep fashion moving and thriving.

1. Joan Burstein (founder, Browns): You're more likely to have heard of Joan Burstein if you live in the U.K. She is the founder and owner of one of London's most popular boutiques, Browns. But even if you've heard of her, you might not realize just hoe influential she is. Her boutique has been the first to carry designs by Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Gareth Pugh, Hussein Chalayan, and Christopher Kane. She has also introduced innumerable international designers to the U.K.

2. Costanza Pascoloto (writer, Vogue Brazil): BoF calls Pascoloto "Brazil’s reigning grand dame of fashion." The 74-year-old badass has been integral to the development of Brazil's fashion scene, and she also runs her own fashion blog.

3. Pat McGrath (makeup artist): Despite having no formal training, Pat McGrath is one of the world's leading makeup artists. She does makeup for shows and spreads, designs beauty lines, and has worked with basically everybody.

4. Angelica Cheung (Editor-in-Chief, Vogue China): Cheung is the youngest of the Vogue queens, and has a haircut that is similar to Anna Wintour's, but way cooler. She has paved the way for China's fashion industry, and is largely the reason the country has gotten attention and respect from the international fashion community.

5. Omoyemi Akerele (founder, Style House Files): Style House Files is an organization that supports designers in Nigeria, and Akerele actively works to expand and promote the country's quickly growing fashion industry.