10 Chic Citizens That Changed 2008: Part 1

#6: Lara Stone. So she’s not a natural walker–that only makes this Dutch beauty even more memorable on the runway. Stone, who turns 25 on December 23, began her meteoric rise in 2006 with a Givenchy exclusive and the campaigns that inevitably follow. But she owned 2008, with particularly memorable runway jaunts at Stella McCartney and Balmain, and now, Carine has anointed her reigning goddess of French Vogue by dedicating the February issue to her flawless visage. Does it get any bigger?
#7: Mark Lee. The Gucci honcho announced his December 31 retirement this fall, but that didn’t stop Gucci designer Frida Giannini from applauding him during her bow on the Milan runway in September. And let’s not forget not one, but two giant Gucci parties that he masterminded this year including, as Madonna put it, “a little house party” in the United Nations.  Rumor has it that he’ll end up in Howard Socol’s empty post at Barneys New York. The master retailer would be a wise choice indeed.
#8: Aliona Doletskaya and Alexandra Shulman. For so long, Anna and Carine were the most buzzed-about Vogue editors, but the women behind the 10-year-old Russian and British editions have emerged with stronger-than-ever issues that has the fashion world all abuzz. Their personalities have also earned international fascination. There’s no doubt that they will be even more ubiquitous in 2009.
#9: Steven Meisel. Is he shooting every possible campaign, or is it just nous? Aside from the fact that he’s almost the only photographer Her Madgesty will work with, this shutterbug had one hell of year. His Black Issue of Italian Vogue sold out…he gave his first interview…and his most recent Prada campaign set a new marketing standard.
#10: Kate and Laura Mulleavy. They’re hardly new at this point, but the Rodarte designers are hitting their stride. Their fall collection, complete with an Alex de Betak set and the most coveted shoes of the season (thanks to Nicholas Kirkwood), earned raves–and they picked up the well-endowed Swiss Textile Award shortly thereafter. Will it be a CFDA win? A Target line? A bridge collection? 2009 will surely tell.