Charli XCX and Emma Corrin named most influential UK fashion icons

Charli XCX, Emma Corrin and Alexander McQueen’s Seán McGirr are among the UK and Irish stars that have been named as the most influential fashion figures of 2024.

The Business of Fashion’s BoF 500, an annual index of the people shaping the fashion industry, added 100 new names for 2024, which include several well-known faces from the UK and Ireland.

Charli XCX’s ‘brat girl summer’ sent TikTok into a spiral earlier this year, when the Cambridge-born singer’s combination of grunge and hyper-feminine managed to inspire a trend that became a lifestyle, rather than just an aesthetic.

“A brat,” said Charli XCX, “has a packs of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra.”

The look was about embodying self-love, positive body image and sultry style choices. It marked a sharp departure from the preceding ‘clean girl’ trend, which promoted things like yoga, early nights and slicked back hair.

The 32-year-old Speed Drive singer created a movement that was even reached US presidential candidate Kamala Harris, when Charli XCX posted simply on X (formerly known as Twitter): “Kamala IS brat”.

Her influence has not only been felt in fashion, but throughout pop culture as she continues to carve out a distinctive voice of the era.

British actor Emma Corrin was also added to the fashion index for 2024. The 28-year-old shot to fame when they depicted Princess Diana in The Crown in 2020, for which they won a Golden Globe.

Throughout their public appearances, Corrin has sported some of the most daring fashion, becoming a Miu Miu muse and a runway icon. Their avant-garde and gender-fluid looks have changed the face of red carpets, as the style chameleon continues to be a trailblazer in celebrity fashion.

Newly appointed creative director of Alexander McQueen, Seán McGirr cemented his place in fashion by joining other icons on the list.

McGirr, 35, was appointed in his Alexander McQueen role in October 2023 and debuted his first collection at the autumn/winter 2024 Paris Fashion Week in February this year. He was largely inspired by vintage McQueen, which was cropping up on red carpets by rising stars such as Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler.

The collection was dramatic, rebellious and thought-provoking, and embodied a visceral energy – something the British fashion house hadn’t seen since the days of late founder Alexander McQueen himself.

McGirr’s debut collection explored themes of construction and release, with designs showcasing tightly bound jeans and jackets juxtaposed with bursts of organic fur to expose, as McGirr put it, “the animal within”.

By reviving McQueen’s radical vision, fashion followers are on tenterhooks to see the Irish designers second collection at Paris Fashion Week this weekend.

Founder and CEO of The Business of Fashion, Imran Amed said: “What began as a list of the 500 most influential people in the global fashion industry has now grown to 1509 entries in our index, representing every facet of the industry.”

The new entrants were selected for their leadership, creativity, innovation and impact on the fashion industry.