The Evolution of the Creative Director Role in the Fashion Industry
Creative directors have an important role to fill in the fashion industry, often being expected to dramatically reset the brand image and increase the company's sales through their creative endeavors. According to Vogue Business, Yves Saint Laurent’s decision to bring Hedi Slimane on as creative director in 2012 was when the expectation of a creative director to exponentially increase sales was truly solidified in the fashion industry. Slimane’s choice to rebrand Yves Saint Laurent to just “Saint Laurent”, increasing profits by a whopping 75% from just 2013 to 2015 (Vogue Business, 2023).
Hedi Slimane
Luxury retail analyst Robert Burke states that “fashion is not about consistency, it's about newness” (Vogue Business, 2023). When a company brings on a creative director, they are expected to bring something new and fresh to the brand to increase profits and relevancy. Because of this need for creativity and dramatic change, the turnover rate for creative directors in the fashion industry is historically high. Oftentimes, creative directors are essentially seen as temporary positions.
Considering the temporariness of the creative director in the fashion world, it is often difficult for younger individuals to land a job as creative director for a brand. Internal hires are often favored over new and younger designers, as existing employees are already aware of the culture of the brand.
Olivier Rousteing
Fashion is an ever changing industry, forced to adapt to new challenges and concepts constantly. Fashion critic Ayo Oju mentions how the industry is simply “too much” now, as the traditional Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer collections have grown into Fall/Winter, Spring/Summer, Pre-Fall, and Resort collections in addition to an increased need for celebrity appearances that brands must adapt to in order to keep up with the industry and remain relevant.
Given the increasing importance of social media, creative directors must be proficient in creating posts and content for the brand. Because of the relevancy of social media, brands are often seeking out individuals with a notable public presence when looking to hire a new creative director. Olivier Rousteing was hired as creative director at the young age of 25 for Balmain, being chosen for the job thanks to his understanding of marketing, hype, and large social media presence, according to CEO Michael Burke (Glossy, 2021). Pharell Williams, famous music producer and music artist, is another notable example of a creative director with an existing platform. Williams was brought on as men’s creative director for Louis Vuitton in 2023, further showing the importance of a creative director having a platform and media presence in the modern day fashion industry. It is essential that creative directors are able to push boundaries and create something never seen before for the brand while remaining socially responsible and sensitive to today’s ideals.
Pharrell Williams
Sources:
Cooper, L. F. (2023, March 30). Nothing is forever: How fashion’s creative director exodus will shape the industry. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2023/03/how-fashions-creative-director-exodus-will-shape-the-industry
Guilbault, L. (2023, February 14). Pharrell Williams named Louis Vuitton Men’s creative director. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/pharrell-williams-named-louis-vuitton-mens-creative-director
Maguire, L., & Shoaib, M. (2023, December 8). How long should brands give a creative director to succeed?. Vogue Business. https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/fashion/how-long-should-brands-give-a-creative-director-to-succeed
Parisi, D. (2021, December 20). The evolving role of the fashion creative director. Glossy. https://www.glossy.co/fashion/the-evolving-role-of-the-fashion-creative-director/
Team, B. C. (2024, February 9). What fashion’s creative talent needs to know Today. The Business of Fashion. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/workplace-talent/careers-market-insights-industry-news-fashion-creative/