This industry is full of two extremes… the artists (creators, designers, editors…the ones with the eye for the craft) and the left brainers (analytical, logical people… the ones who know the business and understand numbers). Then there’s Sarah Rutson, whom I would argue, gracefully possesses both qualities.

She has the creative outlook and impeccable, unmatchable taste, paired with an unspeakably razor-sharp business mind. Unlike most Fashion Directors, Sarah knows how to brilliantly mix the two: the fantasy and the reality of fashion. She has an eye for the small details and when she believes in something, she stands behind and pushes it forward. Then she plays the role of the buyer, making those visions available to her customers. She goes beyond than just understanding past and current trends, she sets future ones—-she actually, singlehandedly, transformed the luxury business in China as a whole.

But the cool thing about her is that she doesn’t follow suit in the crazy hype that this industry stirs up and spits out, yet, at the same time, she doesn’t take it all too seriously either. Afterall, at the the end of the day, there are more important things in the world. Still, Sarah Rutson—Fashion Director of Lane Crawford, shows us that to stay ahead of the game, one must not just be creative and stylish (the who and what), one must also have a keen understanding for the business (the how and why). 

“It’s about merchandising, but also being a visionary. I am there to make sure that I lead the team to be open to what’s going to be happening next. I tell them where I think fashion is moving. It can come from what’s going on around me, be it music or art, or after seeing definitive collections.” - Sarah Rutson, BoF

Dressed in her often multi-layered ensemble of all the biggest names, finished with her signature double belt and sky-high heels, Sarah defines witty, badass chic. She is, hands down, the coolest person in fashion and someone I want to be, career-wise, later down the road. Until then, let’s hope I don’t say something stupid the next time I run into her at New York Fashion Week. xxSartorialGirl

[photo from Elle]