OPINION - Christie's London Westwood auction shows why we need the radical creativity of female fashion designers

Last week I went on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour to discuss the succession drama at Chanel, where Virginie Viard — its creative director of the past five years, since Karl Lagerfeld’s death — has just stepped down from the role. It’s the biggest job in fashion and its vacancy has caused quite the furore over who might step into those two-tone ballet flats. Arguably, they’ll more likely be in a loafer.