What’s a Creative Director for, Anyway?

Three species of creative leaders are poised to redefine the industry

“I am back to making jackets,” Demna swore of his new mission at Balenciaga in his first on-the-record interview since two ad campaigns from late 2022 sparked controversy. “[The essence of fashion is] in shapes and volumes, silhouettes, the way we create relationships between body and fabric,” his FW23 show notes read. The invitation underscored the seductiveness of armholes; it was itself a cutting pattern for a “perfect jacket,” presumably to be made by the show invitees.

Over at Louis Vuitton menswear, the opposite is occurring: The influential record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and hype-master Pharrell Williams is the brand’s new creative director.

Source: SSENSE

These two divergent realities — and the skepticism that greeted both from fashion critics and the gossip mill, illuminate the complex evolution of a job that was once firmly about design. Between the grand pronouncements and speculation, it’s difficult to keep track of who landed where, why, and why we should care. In the past year only, new…