At the end of July, The Lyst Index published its quarterly fashion rankings of fashion's hottest brands and products. Out of the 20 brands ranked, only five had women as their creative directors or designers. In fact, two brands share the same person, namely Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu and Prada. And despite the latter being a two-designer team, Prada was still put on the map by its matriarch. The others were Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior womenswear, Silvia Venturini Fendi for Fendi menswear, and Donatella Versace for her namesake brand. Women, simply put, are still considered a minority when it comes to leading brands, and it's a terrible shame given that women designing for women couldn't be a better fit. Yes, not all designers, who happen to be women, are necessarily equipped with fresh ideas and their gender alone does not guarantee success with womenswear; however, in Maryam Nassir Zadeh's case, the opposite seems to be true. Instead, the New York-based designer is being widely copied by other brands and the aesthetic seems to permeate her contemporaries' work. The difference being that everything she does, it seems, is deeply personal and, as Harper's Bazaar fashion news director Rachel Tashjian (@theprophetpizza) writes, sincere. Her work is not cloaked in isms and ideas of what women should look like based on a dogmatic idea, which may make the clothes seem forceful and even superficial. To the contary, her designs and sartorial inclinations are very much an extension of her own world rooted in freedom, self-expression, and sensualityーwhich all come from a place of warmth and the desire to remain true to herself. The sheer, razor-thin fabrics covering the nipples; the multicoloured crochet, long-sleeve black top and skirt; and various cutouts exposing skin never seem gauche or vulgar; there is a sense of gentleness to her SS23 collection. And it reflects her own way of being while placing her own ideas of femininity at its core. As such, it's endearing to see designers like her work with the inside-out rather than the outside-in ethos. The designs are sexy, feminine and free, with women and their bodies placed at the heart of it all.