In the last decade, high-end fashion brands have been buffeted by increasingly tough economic conditions. A slowdown in Chinese consumption and growing terrorism in Europe have had a heavy impact on some of the sector’s most successful competitors. In spite of this, one label has experienced six consecutive years of growth, surpassing all expectations.

Saint Laurent, formerly Yves Saint Laurent, has CEO Francesca Bellettini to thank for much of its success. Bellettini was appointed in 2013 and has since gained a reputation for her openness to change and new opinions. This became obvious when she first joined the brand: Hedi Slimane, the company’s creative director at the time, suggested that a change of name could bring clarity and a new identity to the organisation, and Bellettini immediately followed through with his proposal. It has paid off enormously, bringing Saint Laurent’s designs to a new audience – particularly younger generations, who do not have the same connection to the original brand name.

Bellettini is a traditional leader in the sense that she has heavily promoted Saint Laurent’s permanent collections, believing that these can help the brand get back to its core identity. She is also someone who listens and gives high levels of autonomy to those working under her, as was the case with Slimane. During her time as CEO of the fashion house, Bellettini has been keen to ensure parity between menswear and womenswear, a reflection of Yves Saint Laurent’s own view that men and women should be able to wear the same clothes and aspire to the same looks.

Bellettini knows that the next few years will be tough for fashion, as political and economic instability continue to rock almost every industry. But given her past performance, the future looks optimistic for this CEO.