The role of the creative director in sustaining the luxury brand

With the influence of mass distribution, short-term product life cycles and online retailing and marketing communications, the nature of luxury fashion is becoming more commercialized. This presents a challenge to luxury brands, whose intrinsic value has been based on brand heritage, product craftsmanship and exceptional quality. In the modern luxury fashion industry, the persona of the brand’s creative director plays an important role in upholding the brand’s value and image. With their artistic talents, vision and ability to personify the brand, creative directors have the power to reinterpret the brand’s iconic symbols and products into new versions appropriate for the current marketplace. In the increasingly fast-paced industry, creative directors are facing new roles and responsibilities. Therefore, this article attempts to address the changing nature of these roles and responsibilities of creative directors in sustaining the success of their luxury brand. Based on a model by Kapferer and Bastien, four aspects of luxury brands that creative directors need to incorporate into their brand and product strategies were addressed.