Former Balenciaga designer, now creative director at Louis Vuitton, all eyes were on Nicolas Ghesquière in 2014, whose year was defined by leaving the past behind. While last year, the fashion crowd fêted Alexander Wang for his (so far) successful hop into Ghesquière's shoes at Balenciaga, this year the focus was on the Frenchman and his new role.

From his Fall-Winter 2014 debut in March this year to the Resort 2015 show held in Monaco (where the brand was invited by Prince Albert and Princess Charlene) to the Spring 2015 collection shown off in Paris, Ghesquière managed a trio of runway spectacles with collections that matched the refined, self-assured grandeur of his ambitions. He also reimagined the brand's advertising, hiring not one but three major photographers (Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Weber and Juergen Teller) to capture his first ready-to-wear collection for Louis Vuitton. 

And the clothes? He walked into a role that had only ever been inhabited by one designer (American fashion legend Marc Jacobs), and has made it his own with his signature blend of retro color palettes and thoroughly modern silhouettes. 

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As for the future? Asked last month by the Wall Street Journal whether he'd considered a namesake line, he was honest: "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to do it." While he's committed to his day job at Vuitton for now, we can't wait to see what he'd get up to with his own brand. 

Runner-up: Alexander Wang

The American designer has continued to successfully hop the Atlantic, leading the teams in Paris for Balenciaga and his own label back in New York City. As if that wasn't enough, Wang also hopped aboard the 'Health Goth' trend at what seems like the perfect time to deliver a sporty, uber fashionable capsule collection for H&M, followed by the launch of a new denim range with a racy, headline-making campaign.

Third place: Anna Wintour 

The grandest of fashion's current Grande Dames, the American Vogue editor and global artistic director of Condé Nast has had another incredibly successful year. In the spring, the Costume Institute opened the Anna Wintour Costume Center, which was renamed after the editor after a two-year renovation. This month she also received an Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Fashion Awards back in her native London.