Phoebe Philo is arguably one of the best fashion designers that have graced the British fashion industry. She rose to fame during her outstanding career at Céline, where she served as a creative director. She has recently made headlines with the launch of her label. For three years, she took a sabbatical, probably to restructure her comeback as an individual brand.
The last two decades have seen many other creative directors join and leave heritage fashion houses. Many senior managers would love to stay in a well-established organization, and they are willing to accept a salary cut to enjoy the affiliation. However, it is no surprise that other senior executives are eager to exit an organization that would otherwise add some leverage to their professional brand.
Top Jobs At Big Fashion Houses
Renowned fashion industry giants include Gucci, Dior, Channel, Balenciaga, and Saint Laurent. These brands have gained global recognition because of the human resources they hire. Individuals who occupy positions in these companies have gone ahead to acquire vast knowledge and immense wealth. Through affiliation, you can turn your dream of being a fashion designer into a reality. Additionally, you also get to enjoy a lucrative job at a household label. Unfortunately, you will lose your identity as a unique brand. With time, the organization will overshadow your star, thus becoming less distinctive.
What Can Be Done?
Below are some of the tactics that high-ranking professionals can employ to manage the challenges they face while working in the major fashion houses:
Transporting Teams
For you to perform at the highest level, you need a reliable team around you. Senior executives should find trusted people who can consistently perform across organizational setups. For example, Raf Simons, a Belgian fashion designer, served as a creative director at Calvin Klein, Jil Sander, and Dior. In every company that he worked, he went along with Pieter Mulier, his right-hand man. Alaia later hired Mulier as a creative director.
Selectively Neglecting Organizational Norms
Once you get into a contract with an organization, you are obligated to perform in line with its expectations, regardless of your individual professional brand. However, in some cases, ignoring some of these expectations can go a long way to protecting your brand. A specific example is when Marc Jacobs went ahead to update the conservative Louis Vuitton canvas, which was deemed off-limits. This decision resonated well with Jacobs’s brand persona and also boosted the Vuitton stature.
Materializing the Professional Brand in the Broader Market
Thanks to social media, you can use various platforms to communicate your brand to other stakeholders that have no links to the company you are working for. Don’t be skeptical of trying out emerging markets such as the promising opportunities that are coming up from the gaming and fashion merger. For example, Louis Vuitton partnered with Riot Games to develop prestige skins for 2019’s League of Legends World Championship Finals.
The virtual fashion revolution is taking shape, and more mobile games designers are looking to collaborate with fashion designers to create the artistry of fashion in games. There are also opportunities for fashion designers in mobile games as seen in games such as The Sims Mobile and Project Makeover. This trend has also been taking shape in online mobile slots with many having fashion themes such as High Fashion. On comparison sites, you can play mobile slots for free, compare the best slot providers and they also provide information on how to play. As a fashion designer, the gaming field is one of the areas you can explore since software developers are always looking to come up with new and trendy themes.
Drumming Up Sales
Fashion exists both as an art and a commercial venture. Brands are launching products that appeal to critics, but that is not enough if they cannot make any sales. You must sell the product to the customers for you to stay in the market. The current director at Céline, Hedi Slimane, uses the strategy of changing iconic brand names to make sales, however controversial it is. His unapologetic and bold move has surprisingly earned him success at his current position.
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