Across the industry, changes of leaders and teams happen all the time, with new Creative Directors being fired and hired, with the big luxury brands updating and refitting very expensive stores around the globe to keep up with pivoting visions and directions. Across the industry of late, brands like Burberry, Bottega Veneto, and Givenchy have all changed their visionary creative leaders along with their design teams literally overnight. Unless you are an avid reader of the fashion press, then it can be, at times, impossible to keep up.
On the road to pleasing shareholders, another layer of unexplainable madness is that these overnight decisions are often made in collaboration with top editors and influencers. The most well-known is, of course, “AW” (whispered), who, with her team at Conde Nast, can push or pull designers to fit publishing strategies and divide up luxury brand advertising dollars across the globe.
Fast fashion and big box or retail fashion are not exempt when it comes to advertising dollars spent being drawn into playing the PR game, hosting launch parties, in-store events, and collaborations to draw attention to their brand. Though rarely driven by individual talent, apparel retailers such as Zara, H&M, J.Crew, Old Navy, and many others have teams of designers for each category driving sales and volume at all costs, more often than not, at the price of our planet creating inexpensive disposable fashion in mostly cheap synthetics that last a moment on trend but sadly will live forever in a landfill.
Even as I finish writing this draft, another implosive, self-inflicted moment is breaking at the French house of Balenciaga and about to annihilate this long-standing global brand. Aren’t you glad I told you to fasten your seat belts?
At times like these, isn’t it refreshing to know that we do things so very different around here? We proudly do not follow any of the fashion frenzies by choice, overtly offering a consistent message of the tasteful wardrobe-building season after season. Knowing what our Client wants, how to cater to his individual needs, and working directly with him, we can avoid the fashion circus and focus on doing what we do best, dressing every man in J.Hilburn.