Superlatives for 10 of Fashion's Top Creative Directors

A collage featuring some of fashion's top creative directors. — (Image credit: Shutterstock; Getty Images)

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Matthieu Blazy, Chanel
Jonathan Anderson, Dior
Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs
Grace Wales Bonner, Wales Bonner and Hermès Men's
Pharrell Williams, Louis Vuitton Men's
Demna, Gucci
Rachel Scott, Proenza Schouler and Diotima
Chemena Kamali, Chloé
Miuccia Prada, Prada and Miu Miu
Christopher John Rogers, Christopher John Rogers

Congratulations to the class of 2026! You did it, and by "it," we mean defining what good style looks like today. This is Fashion High, the fictional institution where the creative minds at the helm of Dior, Gucci, Chanel, Miu Miu, and more devote their time to texture, color, and craft. To mark their accomplishments, we're doling out superlatives, but not just any superlatives. "Best dressed" is so 2025. "Most likely to credit his nail artist before himself," though? That is a testament worthy of high Marcs. (Get it? It's Marc Jacobs.) Who's most likely to lead a double life à la Hannah Montana? You'll have to keep scrolling to find out.

Fashion High Superlatives

Matthieu Blazy, Chanel

Matthieu Blazy, the creative director at Chanel, smiling. On the slide, it says, "Most Likely to Spur an Old-School Mall Stampede."

Remember when people used to wait in line at the mall all night on Thanksgiving just for a chance to score on Black Friday? Well, Matthieu Blazy is the only person who could re-create that phenomenon in 2026—and in the most high fashion of ways, of course. When his first collection for Chanel dropped, fashion editors ran at full speed (literally, there was sprinting) to get their hands on his pony-hair flats and Maxi Flap bags. But if there were ever a collection we'd elbow our way to the front of a fashionable mob to purchase, it would be Blazy-era Chanel.

Jonathan Anderson, Dior

Jonathan Anderson, creative director at Dior, posing on a red carpet. On the slide, it says, &quot;Most Likely to Smile When You Aren't Looking.&quot;

When Jonathan Anderson walks out after a runway show, he doesn't smile—at least not on camera. One of the most circulated images of Dior's creative director shows him smoking a cigarette while staring off contemplatively at the Seine in Paris, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips downturned. Yet his work is responsible for some of fashion's biggest collective grins. He is the designer of the viral JW Anderson Pigeon bag, after all.

Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs poses at the opening night of Dylan Mulvaney's show &quot;The Least Problematic Woman in the World.&quot; On the slide, it says, &quot;Most Likely to Credit His Nail Artist Before Himself.&quot;

Some people don't step outside their house without mascara. Others won't leave without a blowout. For Marc Jacobs, that nonnegotiable is a long set of elaborately decorated acrylic nails. Jacobs frequently uploads his outfits of the day to his Instagram page, tagging all the designers he wears and all the nail artists responsible for his manicures. What else could one expect from the designer who brought us the delightfully extra Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami collection?

Grace Wales Bonner, Wales Bonner and Hermès Men's

Grace Wales Bonner attends the 2025 Met Gala. On the slide, it says, "Least Likely to Design a Sneaker in the Sale Bin."

Fact: Sambas defined the early 2020s. Their ubiquity could have easily been their downfall, if not for Grace Wales Bonner, who teamed up with Adidas and reinvented the wheel with every Samba drop. Her unexpected design details (think metallics, thick stitching, and animal prints) result in instantaneous sellouts and resale price spikes that consistently have us wondering if we should spend our rent money on a glorified soccer shoe.

Pharrell Williams, Louis Vuitton Men's

Pharrell Williams, 2025 Met Gala Co-Chair, attends the 2025 Met Gala. On the slide, it says, "Most Likely to Lead a Double Life Hannah Montana-Style."

Pharrell Williams has two Academy Award nominations. He has won 14 Grammy Awards and been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Yet he still had time to become Louis Vuitton's men's creative director. There's simply nothing the creative mastermind can't do.

Demna, Gucci

Demna, creative director at Gucci, wearing black sunglasses and a matching jacket. On the slide, it says, "Most Likely to Make a Joke That Needs to be Explained."

Demna's collections are a little like internet memes and inside jokes: polarizing, endlessly dissected, and somehow more compelling once someone explains the IYKYK lore. Whether he's sending blue IKEA-style bags down the runway or turning everyday objects into luxury punch lines, he often holds up a mirror to the cultural zeitgeist, encouraging us to laugh at ourselves.

Rachel Scott, Proenza Schouler and Diotima

Rachel Scott attends the 2026 Met Gala celebrating Costume Art. On the slide, it says, "Most Likely to Make You Want to Take Your PTO."

At Proenza Schouler, Rachel Scott is ushering in a new era for the New York–based brand known for its cool-kid pedigree. But it's in the world she built at Diotima that her Caribbean roots are most clearly on display. Whether dripping in fringe, shimmering sequins, or color-blocked crochet, her pieces evoke '80s Jamaican dancehall while feeling unmistakably modern. The only thing missing is your out-of-office reply.

Chemena Kamali, Chloé

German fashion designer Chemena Kamali acknowledges the audience at the end of the Chloe women's fall/winter 2026-2027 show. On the slide, it says, &quot;Most Likely to Post a 2014 Coachella Pic on #TBT.&quot;

If you speak to any Gen Z or millennial fashion fan today, they'll tell you they yearn for the 2014 Tumblr era of reposting excessively faded photos from Coachella featuring flower crowns, velvet chokers, and flowy two-piece sets. Bohemian chic has made a comeback thanks to the genius of Chloé's Chemena Kamali. In a timeline dominated by quiet luxury and minimalism, she's made lace, chiffon, and romantic chaos feel radical—or should we say, forever bloggable?

Miuccia Prada, Prada and Miu Miu

Miuccia Prada attends "The Killing Of A Sacred Deer" premiere during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival. On the slide, it says, "Most Likely to Stay Young Forever."

Miuccia Prada is perhaps the youngest 77-year-old who's ever lived. The mastermind behind Miu Miu and Prada is always ahead of every trend because she has her finger on the pulse in the way a 17-year-old might. She also doesn't believe in the antiquated idea of "dressing your age," which is evident in her wardrobe, made up of jeweled kitten heels, funky jewelry, and animal-print separates.

Christopher John Rogers, Christopher John Rogers

Christopher John Rogers smiling in a button-down shirt and a baseball cap. On the slide, it says, "Least Likely to Wear All Black."

Maybe you've noticed that fashion is a lot more colorful these days after what felt like an eternity of beige, and we have Christopher John Rogers to thank for it. Rogers has spent the last couple of years conducting an extremely successful campaign against neutrals. His stripes are brighter. His color combinations are louder. Beige never really stood a chance.

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Tara Gonzalez is a senior fashion and social editor at WhoWhatWear. where she is interested in exploring the intersection of fashion and culture and why we are drawn to wearing the things we wear and what that says about the world we live in. Previously she worked as a senior fashion editor at Harper's Bazaar. When she isn't writing trend deep dives for WWW, she's working on her newsletter on Substack, Cult Classic, which explores the very best fashion in film and television. She has a degree in creative writing from The University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Brooklyn with her boyfriend and pug Bjork, the later of which has a very extensive collection of dog-sized Sandy Liang sweaters.