In the world of fashion, being influential could mean a lot of things: having millions of Instagram followers, going viral on TikTok, or having a seat on the front row of a fashion show, for example. Time magazine takes a more nuanced approach to deciding who really makes an impact on the world, looking beyond social media engagement. Each year, the American news publication reveals its Time 100 list of the “Most Influential People” in the world, featuring noteworthy names from industries like the arts, sports, science, entertainment and politics. In 2024, some of fashion’s favourite figures have made the cut, too.
Tory Burch is one of them. The American fashion designer was listed as one of the “Innovators” of the Time 100 list in 2024. As noted by Naomi Watts in Time’s profile of Burch, the designer “created the template for a woman-owned, purpose-led fashion company”. Since founding her eponymous fashion brand in New York in 2004, Burch has drawn on the heritage of American sportswear to offer women’s clothing that, according to Watts, are “beautifully designed with a slice of pragmatism”.
While her fashion brand has been around for 20 years, Burch has recently come into the spotlight for a couple of reasons. Her brand was frequently highlighted in conversations about the “quiet luxury” fashion trend that dominated the past year, introducing the label to a new wave of fashion fans in the process. Since handing over her duties as CEO of her label in 2019, Burch has also shifted her focus on design—which has led to what fashion insiders have dubbed the “Tory renaissance”. Her label, now commonly referred to as a “Cool Girl brand”, is celebrated for clothes that capture what women actually want (dresses with pockets, for example). And Burch remains one of the few women to helm a major fashion brand today.
Burch isn’t the only buzzy fashion designer on the Time 100 list. Jonathan Anderson, the British designer who helms both his eponymous label JW Anderson and the Spanish luxury brand Loewe, is a fellow Innovator. In the past year, Anderson has designed outfits for Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour, created Rihanna’s iconic Superbowl look, and dressed several celebrities for the red carpet. He has also started various fashion trends and designed products that have gone viral, such as the Loewe Puzzle tote and the Loewe Anagram tank top.
This year, Anderson is set to co-chair the upcoming Met Gala with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. And he has designed costumes for Challengers, a new film starring Zendaya and directed by Luca Guadagnino, who wrote for Time, “[Anderson’s] work is always ahead of the curve. What he does at JW Anderson and Loewe is fashion that belongs to us all, now and in the future.”
Burch and Anderson join a roster of fashion designers—including Pierpaolo Piccioli, Clare Waight Keller and Thom Browne—that have been named as honourees of Time magazine’s annual list since it was introduced in 1999.
This year’s list also features some celebrity style icons who have just as much influence in fashion as they do in entertainment, like Dua Lipa, Bollywood star Alia Bhatt and Barbie actress America Ferreira. If anything, their presence on the Time 100 list tells us one thing: style and substance are not mutually exclusive.
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