In the last blog post, I discussed what an art director actually does - as Art Director, and Creative Director are often confused as the same role. Therefore, it felt natural to discuss the role of a Creative director next. A Creative Director's main responsibility was to supervise the design and vision of the brand they’re working for, whether it’s a fashion label or a magazine.
Now, however, Creative Directors are in the public eye more than ever. With social media becoming increasingly important in our everyday lives, Creative Directors are now seen as the ‘face’ of the brands they work for. For example, when Versace is mentioned, Donatella Versace immediately comes to mind. The ‘face’ of these brands must have a strong media presence if they want to connect with their future consumers, the younger generation. Creative Director of Balmain, Olivier Rousteing told Vogue France that when he stepped into the role he realised that he had “become a public person who would have to face criticism and judgement”. This shift is changing how Creative directors are being chosen for their role.
“I realized that I was not just a designer, but an artist director who had to have a more global vision of fashion.” - Olivier Rousteing, Creative Director of Balmain, recalling his first show.
Creative Directors have arguably one of the largest roles in a brand, therefore it’s important that they are able to develop a vision for the brand, maintaining relevancy, meanwhile, considering the history and heritage behind the brand. They must oversee the design of everything, from collections, campaigns, fashion shows, shoots, and more.
Being a creative director comes with large responsibility, one wrong decision could deeply affect your brand. Creative Directors must be highly skilled when it comes to creativity, communication with their team, ability to lead, and of course, having some technical skills that will allow them to visually communicate their ideas to the designers. This role also requires managerial skills; the creative director must consider, and manage the art-related budgets, alongside managing teams and deadlines.
Overall, it’s clear that Creative Directors hold a huge amount of responsibility, with the future of the brand or magazine upon their shoulders. However, with the right skill-set and knowledge, I can imagine it is a very fulfilling and rewarding role, being able to watch your creative visions come to life. As with the role of art director, this is a career I find exciting. I believe it is something I would look into, and consider further on in my career path. However, personally, I would lean towards Art Direction, as I feel that it is more ‘hands-on’ in terms of the creation process. Nonetheless, I will continue to be inspired by the new, younger generation of Creative Directors that are slowly taking over, it is inspirational to see young faces in such huge roles within the industry.
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