Fashion Brands: No longer about the clothes and the designer-by Eli

Michael Vollbracht recently resigned as head designer for fashion house Bill Blass. Although turn-over of creative directors in fashion is not something all together new, what is new is the reason behind the resignation of Mr. Vollbracht.

Fashion brands are no longer about the clothing and/or the designer. Fashion brands are now about the celebrities who wear the clothes and the celebrity stylists who chose what their celebrity clients will wear. The tail wagging the dog.

Mr. Vollbracht was quoted in the LA Times  as saying, "The stylist has more power than I do". He went on to lament the thousands of dollars spent to "beg" celebrity stylists to consider having their clients wear one of Bill Blass' designs...and he inferred how fruitless a quest that can be.

Mr. Vollbracht also laments the rise of TV and magazine media such as "Access Hollywood" and "InStyle" Magazine which shifted fashion focus from "women" to "teen idols". This he believes has changed the dynamics of the fashion brand. This change devalued the whole essence of fashion brands which were created to dress "women" not "little girls"...and to make women feel beautiful rather than twenty-somethings cool and edgy.

An end of an era and the beginning of a new one as fashion branding evolves.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli