Humans are competitive beasts. It's impossible for us not to look at the world around us and think, "Where do I stack up?" And so we make lists. It's partially to keep us in check and partially to assure ourselves that somewhere out there there's some higher goal that we can one day achieve. We may be wallowing in the lower tiers, but if we look up and say, "Hey, there's number one!" it gives us hope in some way. So, here it is, as of today, this very moment, our assessment on the 25 most powerful people in menswear. Sure, to make a list such as this is critical, but it's also aspirational. The men (and woman) that grace this ballot have tirelessly worked their way up the pyramid and now sit comfortably at the pinnacle, filling positions that ironically make them immune to lists such as this. With that said, this is not for them. It's for us that stand at the bottom, neck bent backwards, looking up with index finger full extended, muttering to ourselves, "One day."
Jake Gallagher is a writer living in New York. Read his blog, Wax Wane, here and follow him on Twitter here.