If merchandising is a mix between art and science, art has recently been losing some ground. According to an article in the New York Times, the fashion director position at some department and luxury stores is being phased out. This is partly due to ongoing cost-cutting measures but also because many other avenues have opened up to offer fashion direction.
The article comes as fashion directors at Saks and Lord & Taylor have been let go in recent months, but the position overall has lost its stature over the years.
"I would not say that the fashion director is obsolete," Howard Davidowitz, the chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, told the Times. But in recent years, "the role has been greatly diminished."
In their heyday, fashion directors influenced the look of windows, floor displays and advertising, and served as the authority on fashion for the public in magazines. While not physically writing orders, they steered buying decisions. Often relying on instinct, they were counted on for spotting trends and finding emerging designers to help establish an exclusive image for the store.
Legends such as Dawn Mello of Bergdorf Goodman played a critical role in launching the careers of Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan and Michael Kors. Kal Ruttenstein of Bloomingdale's, who earns credit for discovering Mark Jacobs and Sean Comb, "could forge a career on finding a single hot item like rhinestone jeans and send crowds flocking to a store's flamboyantly theatrical windows," according to the article.
Fashion directors began to lose their influence as cost-cutting has become more important and retailers have recently begun favoring more conservative looks over progressive ones.
"The priority for these stores is to save money and provide better profit margins," Mr. Davidowitz said.
The other reason is the arrival of trend reporting TV (including reality shows like Project Runway) and websites such as style.com.
"Today, information flows so fast that there is no need to wait for pronouncements from fashion directors," said Ed Burstell, a former Bergdorf Goodman executive and now the buying director for Liberty of London. "It's already out there and presented with authority."
At stores still carrying the position, the fashion director job is now about communications and becoming the "ambassador" for the store through magazine and TV coverage, as well as through e-mail, webcasts and store appearances. Spotting trends and design talent is left for the buyers.
"Today it's the merchandise manager who carries the weight," said Marvin Traub, who headed Bloomingdale's in the late seventies and throughout the eighties. "He has an eye to the numbers."
Discussion Questions: Is the diminishing role of the fashion director harmful to department and luxury stores? What can stores do to develop the trends and designer talent that fashion directors had been responsible for?