The Brand Evolution and Shifting Paradigms
Houses of fashion have always been consistently changing following the creative directors and their mark made on their reign. Recently, we have seen a cultural shift from the idolization of houses in their practice and the utmost “untouchable” feeling of the brand and the clothing they present during fashion weeks. But the shift has become more present as recently, Pharrell Williams, an award-winning singer, producer, and all-around cultural icon, has been appointed creative director of Louis Vuitton, raising the question of the direction LVMH and specifically LV will take with their brand. His recent show brought buzz beyond just the art that walked down the runway, but more so the people who attended the show. The fusion of Pharrell's world and fashion is not new, as more and more with the growth and pairing of branding of fashion houses and the clients and customer base these houses now attend to have been bringing the new age of fashion, focusing on who wears brands, not what goes into constructing a show of these magnitudes.
While personally, this new direction socially we are going to appreciate the artform of fashion and what it brings to us, the devotion to the publicity of the pieces on the clients especially, A-listers rather than the clothes speaking for themselves has had a shift on what we see walking down the runway. Pharrell's new role has raised the question of the direction of the brand. The past decade's over-usage and popularization of the branding of the clothes are connecting more to faces of the music and pop culture scene, focusing more on the clients rather than the art (or can be argued as such). His looks, paying homage to the American West, focused on implementing style choices from that era of fashion. Men's looks highlighted choices of denim, floral appliques, and hits of leather and other durable materials. Added accessories of chaps and turquoise beading were seen as well, highlighting that it was “a bit over the top in a good sense” Antonio Belloni (LVMH group managing director). In the new wave of branding, the show also collaborated with American bootmaker, Timberland, which had 10 different designs of the shows walking the carpet. Pharrell, however, was not the trendsetter or the guinea pig for this new wave in the fashion realm, as we have seen many brands partner with other brands in the industry and celebrities. Collaborations like Fenty Puma, Beyoncé, and Balmain for her renaissance album, Dua Lipa in collaboration with Versace for their summer line, and more. Fully cultivating the idea that fashion houses are all taking different routes on how their image will be maintained.
Recent news as Zac Posen, a revolutionary designer and most notably known besides his fashion house, is his role as a judge on the hit show Project Runway. Gap being a staple in American brands has recently been on the outs. Posen is named vice president and creative director of the retail chain, including stores like Old Navy, Athleta, and Banana Republic. He makes way as the first “fashion insider” to hold the position since 2011 under Patric Robinson who previously worked for Armani. The challenge of Gap will be in the hands of Posen, who, unlike Pharrell, is put in his role to reinstate the brand back to its early days of success. The retail empire has undergone multiple turnaround efforts under a multitude of CEOs. Recently, the brand collaborated with Yeezy, already a controversial brand on its own, which did not help sales. Gap and LVMH, while seemingly different realms of the fashion houses, are following the new trend of our generation having quality names take over creatively for their house. This new transition in the fashion world has brought new creative power to the world of fashion but also questions the future of how we define a house's brand, by the designer or by the house in which they represent.
