Reflecting on his career, Nic Galway, vice president of global design at Adidas Originals, says ‘look for the opportunities that others don’t see, have a mindset to do whatever it takes and always have your eyes open.’

Thomas Kowalski, head of talent acquisition at Kering, says "listen and watch — these are essential ingredients in the luxury fashion industry today. You shouldn’t follow the trend, but lead by doing something different."

Paula Reed, content strategy and brand consultant, says "curiosity and a willingness to challenge the accepted ways of doing things are important requirements in today's fast moving luxury world."

Kate Lewis, senior vice president and editorial director of Hearst Magazines Digital Media, says "Fashion media is now about so much more than fashion."

Raven Smith, commissioning director at fashion video channel Nowness, says "diligent preparation and investment in the process creates something more satisfying in the long run."

Natasha McNamara, digital strategy director at Glamour, says "The pace of new platform development is lightening fast and you need to stay on top of it all, but remain focused."

Kathy Phillips, international beauty director of Condé Nast Asia Pacific and founder of This Works, says "I’m more interested in inner beauty than face paint."

Gabriele Hackworthy, editorial fashion director at Net-a-Porter and fashion director of Porter magazine, says "Learn what you can about art history, design and photography, as these reference points will be your greatest tools."