The fashion industry is never stagnant. 

It is an industry constantly undergoing change and development. Every single day it seems like we are seeing new trends, brands and faces. Recently, there has been a significant shift in the “faces” factor. Huge industry names, such as Donna Karan and Grace Coddington, have stepped down from long-held and prestigious positions.

If the industry is constantly changing, why is losing a few names such a big deal? For these women, they leave behind huge impacts on the fashion industry and their own amazing careers.

Karan stepped down as head designer of her brand, Donna Karan New York.

Karan’s fashion career started when she was 14 years old after she dropped out of school to work at a boutique. She was later accepted into Parsons School of Design in New York City, which is a highly-respected fashion school. Karan launched her own brand, DKNY, in 1989. She played a key role in the development of American fashion design alongside the likes of Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta and Calvin Klein. 

She is one of the few designers who is a woman creating for women. She designed with the needs of women in mind, which created a huge female fan base for Karan. Karan has won multiple awards in the fashion industry, an award for lifetime achievement and was named one of Glamour’s Women of the Year in 2007.

Karan decided to step down to focus more on philanthropic work.

Coddington recently left her 30-year position as American Vogue’s creative director.

Coddington was first picked up as a model by British Vogue in the 1960s, but that career was cut short after a car crash at age 26.

From there, she was offered a job as British Vogue’s junior fashion editor. She performed well in that position and worked her way up to the position of senior fashion editor in 1976.

In 1988, Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue, offered the position of creative director to Coddington. Even though Coddington originates from London, she learned to respect and appreciate American design. Coddington’s work for Vogue was iconic, no doubt about it. Every magazine spread, advertisement and billboard was influenced by the aesthetic and style of Coddington.

At 74 years old, Coddington said she will not be living a life of retirement. Instead, she will be working on personal projects and will continue to occasionally do work for Vogue.