Does Talent Count In Fashion Anymore?

From celebrities to Instagram influencers, it seems that almost anybody these days can create a fashion brand, helm it and be successful. Associate fashion editor Asri Jasman wonders if talent is really needed in order to flourish in fashion.

“So what do they look like?” I ask every time I hear the announcement of a relative unknown taking on the role of creative director of a fashion house.

There’s a part of me that’s always cynical about it. It’s not that I’m privy to the inner workings of these brands (I wish), but of late, there’s a pattern that I’ve been noticing. These creative directors are young, male and good-looking.

Daniel Lee of Bottega Veneta, Bruno Sialelli of Lanvin and Daniel Roseberry of Schiaparelli are just the most recent examples that come to mind. They’re a new generation of creative directors who have been seemingly plucked from obscurity and given the opportunity to design and front fashion houses that have decades of history. And let’s face it, creative directors no longer are hidden behind their muses and bundles of toiles; their faces and presence are as crucial to the brand as the ambassadors who front their campaigns season after season.

There’s no denying that at the heart of it, fashion is about beauty and the appreciation and celebration of it. So it’s little wonder then that seeking to look for and create beauty has spilled over into finding a creative force to somewhat fit into that ideal as well.

I’m not questioning the talents of the three aforementioned designers, not at all. The fact that they’ve also cut their teeth working for some of the biggest fashion brands around, before getting the opportunity to steer the creative direction of their respective fashion houses, speaks to their experience and talents.