When fame is worth more than talent: the appointment of Jeden Smith as creative director of Louboutin
The recent appointment of Jeden Smith as the new creative director of Louboutin is an episode that deserves careful attention. It is not a question of judging the person himself, but rather the significance that this choice takes on within a fashion system that seems to reward experience less and less and notoriety more and more.
While thousands of students and young designers invest time, money and years of training to acquire technical, cultural and artistic skills, we are witnessing a phenomenon that sends a clear message: sometimes it is not necessary to have followed this path, because a well-known name is enough to gain access to the most coveted positions.
Meritocracy sacrificed to marketing
In an industry where fashion schools require years of study in complex disciplines — pattern making, tailoring, costume history, textile design, visual communication, branding — seeing someone outside of fashion design take on the most important role can be frustrating. It feels like paying your dues, internships, and nights spent sewing prototypes are worth less than the ability to attract media attention.
For companies, the strategy is clear: a celebrity at the top brings immediate visibility, newspaper headlines and short-term sales. But at what price? If fame rather than talent becomes the criterion, in the long run there is a risk of impoverishing the entire sector, reducing it to a marketing exercise rather than a field of creative research.
Not an isolated case
Louboutin’s choice is no exception: in recent years, more and more brands have preferred to entrust creative roles to figures from the worlds of music, cinema or influencer culture.
Just think of Pharrell Williams, called upon to lead Louis Vuitton’s menswear line: an artist with great cultural impact, certainly, but not a designer who grew up among fabrics and paper patterns. Or SZA, appointed artistic director of Vans, a choice that raised more than a few questions about the actual skills required for the role. And then there’s A$AP Rocky with Ray-Ban, Lindsay Lohan with Emanuel Ungaro, and Cardi B as creative director for Playboy: cases that have sparked debate and clearly show a trend.
These appointments all have a common thread: exploiting popularity to relaunch brands. The problem is that often, behind the glossy image, the real creative processes remain in the hands of internal teams — young designers, pattern makers, anonymous creatives — who rarely receive the recognition they deserve.
The effect on students and the future of the sector
For those studying fashion, this dynamic risks being devastating. Not only because it reduces opportunities, but because it undermines confidence in the very possibility of emerging thanks to talent and hard work. Those who can afford expensive schools, unpaid internships and years of practice often find themselves overtaken by those who simply have public visibility.
The risk is twofold: on the one hand, entire generations of creatives who could breathe new life into the sector are discouraged; on the other, fashion itself is impoverished, ceasing to value research and innovation in favour of pure hype.
Conclusion
The appointment of Jeden Smith as creative director of Louboutin is not just a business decision, but a symbol of how the fashion system is changing direction. Celebrity now seems to be the most powerful currency, more so than training, experience and expertise.
If fashion wants to continue to be a fertile ground for creativity and experimentation, it cannot forget those who build it day after day: students, artisans and emerging designers who carry out invisible but essential work. The future of the industry cannot be based solely on the echo of a famous name, but must return to recognising the real value of talent.
Edited by Cosimo Martucci
