There is, however, an intriguing rumour doing the industry rounds. Chanel, the most famous fashion house of all, is currently under the stewardship of Karl Lagerfield. Word has it that when Karl steps down, his place will be taken by none other than Phoebe Philo. This is a position that confers serious status. A woman designer at Chanel could inspire the whole industry.

Historically, the strongest women’s names in fashion have adhered to the idea that ease and practicality are key, but so is a heady shot of je ne sais quoi cool. Coco Chanel freed women from corsets and pioneered dresses made from jersey, previously only used for men’s underwear (no fabric house would sell to her in the beginning). Madame Vionnet pioneered the bias cut, which offered a languid feminine line, sexy but not constricting. Elsa Schiaparelli offered wit, colour and vivacity, appealing to women who wanted their dress to reflect their personality.

Diane Von Furstenberg, creator of the wrap dress, refers to her clothes as “the friend in the closet”, dependable and instantly stylish. Donna Karan pioneered her “seven easy pieces” concept, which would take women from the school gates to the boardroom and to dinner.

Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons staged intellectually and visually challenging catwalk shows (but sold a shrewd collection in stores, offering something for the avant garde purist with a job to do). And Miuccia Prada has delivered her vision of ugly chic time after time, turning utility and function into something cool and daring. She was, after all, the woman who turned a plain nylon backpack into a cult item.

From Phoebe Philo to Rejina Pyo, how are female designers shaping what we wear?