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188Meet the women makinggood things happen in2018, in Vogue’s firstever guide to Britain’smost influential – andinspirational – figures.Portraits by David Burton.Styling by Julia BrenardWhat does power look likenow? As we assembledVogue’s inaugural list ofthe most influentialwomen working in Britain, it becameclear that this question is morecomplicated than ever to answer. Howtelling, for example, that while there havenever been more women in cabinet, 2018did not feel like a year to shine a lighton the ever-shifting sands of power inthe old establishment. It is no longerenough simply to hold a great office ofstate, it seems. Power and influence nowtake many forms.It does, however, still require an eye-watering level of achievement, regardlessof age (the oldest entry, Baroness Hale,is 73; the youngest, Dua Lipa, is 22). Italso demands the ability to inspire, andthe clout to change the conversation.Drawing from the worlds of politics,fashion, the arts, media and sport, wehave had to make notable omissions.For some, authority remains tooprecarious (Theresa May), for others itis eternal (the Queen). So these are thewomen of this year: the Vogue 25, anextraordinary cast of leaders defining- and redefining – the way we live now.SINEAD BURKEWriter and academicAt 3ft 5in tall, Sinéad Burke, whowas born with achondroplasia, is acutelyaware of the limits of design – and howto shift them. In 2018, the author andcampaigner became a sensation, sittingfront row at London Fashion Week andbeing photographed in Burberry and Diorfor magazine covers, while her TED talkWhy Design Should Include Everyoneracked up 1.2 million views online. Hermission is clear: to educate designerson how to be fully inclusive in fashionand beyond.GRACE LADOJAMusic executiveWhen Skepta won the Mercury Prize forhis album Konnichiwa, it was thanks inno small part to his manager: fast-risingmusic executive Grace Ladoja, otherwiseknown as the Godmother of Grime.In 2018, in a move unimaginable a fewyears ago, Buckingham Palace recognisedher services to music in the New Year’sHonours List – proof of her crucial role inBritain’s burgeoning DIY music scene, andher talent for shaking up the status quo.PRIYANKA JOSHIBiochemistPriyanka Joshi had barely completedher PhD when Forbes named her one ofthe most important young faces in science.A research fellow at Downing College,Cambridge, the 29-year-old sits at thecutting edge of Alzheimer’s research, and hasbeen praised for her groundbreaking workbuilding a “library” of drug-like moleculesto target irregular proteins that causedegenerative brain diseases. With dementianow the leading cause of death for women inEngland and Wales, her early breakthroughsand research could not be more vital.KAREN BLACKETTAdvertising directorKaren Blackett often jokes that sheinfluences the majority of purchases wemake in Britain. In January, she certainlybecame the most powerful person inBritish advertising when she was namedcountry manager of WPP, the advertisingand PR giant, overseeing a £2 billionturnover while managing a staff of 17,000.Blackett’s influence over consumer habitsis unparalleled, while her experiences asa single mother (one raised by working-class, Barbados-born parents) motivatesher to ensure advertising speaks to all.DUA LIPA SingerThe past 12 months have seen 22-year-oldDua Lipa go from lesser-known pop singerto stadium-filling star. The most streamedfemale artist in Britain last year, Lipa madeBrits history in February, when she becamethe first woman to receive five nominationsin one night. She’s a culture definer, too.Her hit “New Rules”, an anthem of femaleempowerment, laid out a blueprint formodern sex lives and has, to date, hadmore than a billion views on YouTube. >THEVOGU E## 25