The appointment of Jaden Smith at Louboutin signals a new priority: star power over technical expertise
It seems increasingly clear that fashion is no longer a job for fashion designers. The industry’s new hiring practices are the most glaring evidence. The appointment of Jaden Smith—actor, rapper, and nepo baby—as head of Louboutin’s men’s division is not an anomaly. It is a pattern. It follows the identical playbook that brought Pharrell Williams to Louis Vuitton. These moves are not about design expertise; they are a calculated response to a deeper crisis. But do we really need celebrity designers?
Chasing hype over heritage, the industry faces an existential crisis
The luxury fashion industry has fundamentally changed. Once the domain of visionary designers and family-owned houses, it has been reshaped by the forces of modern capitalism: marketing, algorithms, the influence of the relentless pace of fast fashion, and the insatiable demand for growth. In this new paradigm, the designer’s role has been diminished, their craft made secondary to a new bottom line. The result is an implosion: a loss of soul, meaning, and the distinct DNA that once differentiated one brand from the other. Marketing killed fashion, and yet they keep going.
Modern capitalism has eroded the perception of luxury itself. As brands scaled into monumental “cathedrals” with vast retail networks and gigantic egos to match, they sacrificed their intrinsic value for a hollow exclusivity. And fake scarcity. This identity crisis, combined with global economic instability, has led to a widespread luxury downturn. As a result, the clothes no longer sell themselves.
So, what is the fix for easy profit? Star power. Celebrities are the hyped-up solution to a problem of their own making. They generate immediate buzz, attract legions of fans, and create viral moments. A short-term lifeline for brands struggling to remember their own identity. Or simply trying to pay their costs.
The paradox of fashion education
However, this shift makes the existence of prestigious, exorbitantly expensive fashion schools a profound paradox. For instance, a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design at Istituto Marangoni in Milan costs approximately €21,550 to €25,900 annually for the 2026/2027 academic year, including an annual enrollment fee of €4,000 and an international fee of €25,900 for non-EU students. For European students, the tuition fee is around €21,550 annually.
This shift creates a devastating paradox: Why would a student invest such money to master a craft that the industry no longer values? Why specialise in a field where the top jobs are offered not to the most skilled, but to the most famous?
The craft behind the hype: why shoe design isn’t for amateurs
Not to mention that, from a technical perspective, shoe design is far more complicated than clothing design. Shoes must combine aesthetics, ergonomics, and durability. It requires knowledge of lasts, leathers, soles, stitching, and construction methods—cemented, Blake, Goodyear welt, and more. Comfort, weight distribution, and movement are critical, so design overlaps with engineering and biomechanics. Production is also slower and more expensive to change.
Clothing design is broader and trend-driven, with complexity in variety and fit. Shoe design is narrower but technically more intricate, since every millimetre matters for comfort and wearability. Shoes demand precision, not popularity. But knowledge isn’t a problem, unless you’re nobody.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, the choice is a strategic one. Brands prioritise expansion and rapid growth over heritage and craftsmanship. They don’t need a designer; they need a headline. This explains why Louboutin chose Jaden Smith—for his vast reach, not his mastery of lasts and leathers.
Clearly, fashion is no longer a job for fashion designers. The pressing question is not if this is true, but what this soulless, celebrity-chasing pursuit means for the future of creativity itself.
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