Masters of Scale Historic changes across high fashion, with WSJ. Magazine’s Sarah Ball
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Sep 16, 2025 Sarah Ball, Editor-in-Chief of WSJ. Magazine and a fashion industry expert, joins to discuss the whirlwind changes shaping high fashion. She delves into the recent New York Fashion Week, marked by notable shifts in creative leadership at major brands. The conversation covers the future of Vogue after Anna Wintour, the influence of AI on fashion creatives, and how social media is redefining brand identity and success. Sarah also reflects on the legacy of Giorgio Armani and the evolving role of influencers in democratizing fashion.
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A September Of Major Creative Turnover
- September 2024 is a historic inflection with nearly a dozen new creative directors reshaping major houses.
- Brands are recalibrating design to match fast-changing consumer tastes amid economic uncertainty.
Next-Gen Designers With High Stakes
- New creative directors tend to be early-40s millennials bringing next-gen perspectives to legacy houses.
- Their appointments carry huge stakes because brands need long-term leaders who can stabilize sales and vision.
Style And Economics Are Intertwined
- Style shifts and macroeconomics are intertwined: brands must read both taste and consumer spending power.
- Shorter trend cycles via TikTok force brands into rapid creative pivots with higher commercial risk.