At the luxury end of the fashion industry, designers are in and out of top jobs as rapidly as hemlines are in and out of vogue.
Last year, more than 15 major fashion houses appointed new creative directors - including Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Celine.
But high-end fashion's game of musical chairs is also being played on the high street.
John Lewis has announced the appointment of Jacqui Markham as its new creative director of fashion, where she will oversee the 162-year-old store's women's, men's and childrenswear collections.
She replaces Queralt Ferrer, who held the position for four years.
Where Ferrer, 52, was previously women's design director at Marks & Spencer, Markham's CV is notably more fashion-forward.
She joins from Whistles, the premium high street chain where she has served as creative director since April 2025. Prior to that, she was global design director at Topshop, as well as design director at Asos.
The appointment is the clearest indication yet that John Lewis is sharpening its stilettos in a bid to tempt customers away from its closest rival, M&S, currently on a high with a series of womenswear collections that have been favourably received by customers and fashion critics alike.
John Lewis has announced Jacqui Markham as its new creative director of fashion
Queralt Ferrer held the position at John Lewis for four years and was previously women's design director at Marks & Spencer
As part of an £800 million turnaround programme overseen by managing director Peter Ruis, John Lewis recently added 100 new fashion brands to its roster, including an exclusive collection by Mulberry.
Having worked under disgraced Arcadia boss Sir Philip Green during 18 years at Topshop, Markham - who graduated with first class honours in fashion design at Northumbria University in 1993 - is likely to have developed a thick skin as well as a keen understanding of what women want to wear.
She joined Topshop in 1997, rising to become its design director in 2011 before leaving in 2015 to take on the same role at Asos.
An insider says: 'Markham has impeccable taste. She was the one who really brought the cool to Asos, shifting the emphasis from dull dresses to affordable outfits that fashion insiders really wanted to wear.'
She was lured back to Topshop in 2015, where she resumed her design director role until 2019, overseeing successful initiatives such as its London Fashion Week shows, its NewGen sponsorship of emerging fashion designers, and its three-year collaboration with Kate Moss.
So while 50-something Markham might not be as well-known a name as Jonathan Anderson, the new creative director of Dior, she has had far more influence on the average woman's wardrobe.
Her first mission begins with deeper investment in John Lewis's own-label lines, including the launch of its biggest-ever cashmere collection this autumn, a move that it's hoped will lift sales by 20 per cent.
Next week, the retailer will also officially launch an exclusive capsule collection by Amanda Wakeley, a favourite designer of Catherine, Princess of Wales.
With a proven track record of democratising style, Markham believes that you don't have to be a princess to access quality at an affordable price.