【What changes and what remains in the creative director transition】
Reading the "History of Inheritance Design" through the continuity of pattern, material, and proportion
The shift in luxury is often dismissed as "the mood has changed," but what is closer to the reality of brand management is more accurately described as "re-designing inheritance, not renewal." While superficial presentation can be manipulated, breaking the pattern, material, and proportions causes the brand to become "clothing of a different brand." Here, focusing on the historically verifiable transitions, we will analyze where inheritance is maintained and where updates occur from multiple perspectives.
【0 Areas that change with the change, and areas that tend to remain】
To avoid discussing change as only "creativity," first, the structure is separated.
Areas likely to remain unchanged
・Product pillars (trench, tweed, specific bags, etc.)
・Procedures of the atelier and workshop (sewing specifications, material standards, repair systems)
・Material procurement and manufacturing considerations (maison's supply network, artisan network)
Areas prone to change
・Ratios (length, ease, shoulder position)
・Choice of materials (even with the same shape, the tactile direction changes)
・Editing of "which code to foreground"
・Narrative style of shows/campaigns (culture, city, celebrities, use of SNS)
With this premise, the change can be read not as a "hobby difference" but as a "design difference."
【1 Burberry Keep the core of the coat unchanged, redraw the contours of the city】
Burberry appointed Daniel Lee as Chief Creative Officer in September 2022, and announced his appointment on October 3.
And it is reported that the debut is planned to be held in London (LFW) in February 2023.
The most strongly required aspect to "preserve" at Burberry is the core of the trench coat. This cannot be easily changed even when the director changes. The changes involve the surrounding design centered around the trench.
Points to view from multiple angles
・Updating proportions: While maintaining the same "core of the coat," adjusting the length, shoulder drop, and body volume to reflect the era.
・Interpretation of Britishness: Depending on whether to emphasize tradition or align with urban life realities, the color temperature and materials change.
・In the context of digital: Burberry is known for launching "Art of the Trench" in 2009, expanding trench coat culture through participatory digital experiences. The change also involves re-editing this "product into culture" approach.
【2 Chanel The more a brand has too many codes, the more the change becomes an "editor"】
Chanel acknowledged Virginie Viard's resignation in June 2024.
Subsequently, in December 2024, multiple media reported that Matthieu Blazy was appointed as the Artistic Director of all fashion activities.
What is interesting about Chanel's inheritance is that "things that must not be changed" are not individual items but a collection of codes. Tweed, chains, quilting, camellias, and bicolor coexist, and "Chanel-ness" is built from their combination ratios.
Background facts to keep in mind
・Chanel appointed Karl Lagerfeld as Artistic Director in 1983, and since then, the maison has undergone long-term redefinition.
・Official Chanel comments upon Viaud's resignation also state "updating the code while respecting the legacy," indicating that during personnel changes, the evaluation axis is more about "code operation" than "novelty."
Points to view from multiple angles
・Before the form, the "arrangement" is questioned: Decisions on whether to increase tweed or how to handle jewelry volume create the "inheritance feel."
・Inheritance in accessories: Bags and shoes, more than RTW, carry the brand's continuity, so "deviant updates" are required especially during personnel changes.
・Inheritance of atelier: To maintain both couture and prêt-à-porter, the structure of production remains stronger than the designer change.
【3 Gucci The stronger the code, the more personnel change appears as "amplitude"】
Gucci announced that in March 2025, Kering appointed Demna as the new Artistic Director, and he will assume the position in early July 2025.
Just before, the resignation of Sabar de Sarnó was reported, and the fact that personnel changes occurred in a short span itself indicates the "strength of redefinition of direction."
Gucci's codes, such as bamboo, horsebit, Jackie, and GG, remain strongly as products. As a result, changes caused by personnel shifts tend to be "changing how the code is expressed" rather than "discarding the code."
Points to view from multiple angles
・Business conditions accelerate the pace of change: Reuters reports this personnel change in the context of Gucci's declining performance and business revitalization. Not only creativity but also business demands dictate personnel changes.
・The "fundamental form" remains, but vocabulary changes: metal fittings and monograms on bags remain, but the silhouette's balance and styling tension change, giving the same code a different era's feel.
・Larger brands find it more difficult to update "all directions" simultaneously: RTW, leather goods, advertising expressions, and store experiences all move at once, so immediately after a change, the "remaining" tends to work first.
【4 Celine Changes happen even with "adding a line"】
In 2018, Celine appointed Edie Sliman as the successor to Phoebe Philo, and it was reported that the first show was scheduled for September of the same year.
It has been reported that on October 2024, the same day as Stefano Ricci's resignation, Michael Rider was appointed as the new Artistic Director.
Celine's "mood" of clothing changed not only due to personnel changes but also expanded into menswear and fragrances during the Slimane era.
Here, inheritance appears as a design of scope, focusing on "what kind of house the brand handles" rather than the continuity of patterns.
Points to view from multiple angles
・Change also means "redefining item groups": what to emphasize (tailoring, denim, leather goods, beauty, etc.) changes
・Including the movement of studio/production systems: reports of base and organizational changes when Sirmann was appointed, and change can move not only the creative side but also the production structure
【5 Dior "Concentrating in one person" itself becomes the design of inheritance】
Dior appointed Raf Simons as artistic director in 2012.
In 2016, Maria Grazia Chiuri was appointed as the artistic director of the women's division, and the schedule for her first collection was also reported.
Furthermore, in 2025, it is reported that Jonathan Anderson was appointed as the artistic director of Dior Men, and subsequently, he was appointed as the sole creative director of Dior overall.
What this trend indicates is that change is not only about "design preferences" but also about the choice between organizational decentralization and centralization. Whether to inherit separately or to unify altogether. This in itself becomes the will of the brand.
Points to view from multiple angles
・Houses with a historically strong "basic shape" can be consolidated: Dior has an iconic silhouette and clear codes, providing a foundation for integration
・On the other hand, risks also increase: consolidating all areas into one person increases the load in exchange for unified expression (the design of operations becomes more important)
【6 Conclusion The essence of change is "what to move and what to fix"】
With each change, "newness" is discussed, but in luxury, what is truly significant is rather the fixed point.
・Maintaining fixed points while updating the era through ratios and materials
・Changing the arrangement of codes to read the same brand at a different temperature
・Whether to change the method of inheritance itself (decentralization/centralization) according to business requirements
By looking at which of these three is chosen, the concept of change can be understood more clearly.
【A Dash of MOOD】
When tracking changes, the shifts in logos and atmosphere are easy to notice, but the real change appears a little later. How the standard patterns are reinterpreted in what ratio for the next season, replaced with what materials, and repeated with what proportions.
At MOOD, we perceive that the very "way of repetition" is the true essence of inheritance.
