Historical Influencers: Muses of Luxury Designers
Throughout time and history, luxury brands have chosen the ‘muses’ or ‘faces’ of their brands. Today, this mostly involves marketing materials and social media, a sort of ‘ambassador’ relationship, as we have seen with Kim Kardashian for Dolce & Gabbana, or Florence Pugh for Valentino. But what does it take for a person to become the face of the brand, and how far back does this practice extend?
First, we must look at some of the most iconic muses of brands, traveling back to the days of the 1950s, with Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn. The most iconic of collaborations between the two lies in the most-remembered scene of Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress adorned with pearls in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, created by Givenchy. This dress was the first of many attempts to join the luxury fashion industry with the film industry, and the success of this attempt changed these industries for years to come (Rae, 2023).
The relationship between muse and designer has been one of respect, admiration, and mutual benefit for years. Hepburn & Givenchy had an incredible relationship that began in 1953 when he was asked to design costumes for a movie she was working in, Sabrina, and from this point on, a beautiful relationship was born. Hepburn raved and ravished over the designs that Givenchy created for her in every part of her life, from movie scenes to red carpets to even the gown she wore for her wedding in 1969. Hepburn stated, “Givenchy’s clothes are the only ones I feel myself in. He is more than a designer, he is a creator of personality.” (Friedman, 2018).
Arguably, another one of the most iconic relationships between designer and muse comes from Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas. Jean-Louis Dumas was serving as the Executive Chairman of Hermes when he met Birkin on a flight from Paris to London in 1984. Birkin’s belongings fell to the floor aboard the flight, and Dumas advised her to invest in a bag with pockets, to better hold her things. She replied with her quippy language “The day Hermes makes one with pockets I will have that.”, not knowing she was speaking to the current face of the Hermes brand. From this point, the two collaborated on designing what would be named the Birkin Bag, per Jane’s request (Scemama, 2023). The bag created by these two has become the single most sought-after leather goods on the market, with a waiting list that expands years and a price that expands past tens of thousands.
Another long-standing iconic relationship comes from the fashion icon Cher, and her long-time designer, Bob Mackie. Bob Mackie created an incredible amount of Cher’s most show-stopping looks, and through fashion, the two created a beautiful relationship. The two first met while working on The Carol Burnett Show in the 1960s, and the daring personality of Cher, with the audacious design vision of Bob Mackie, created a fashion love child that will be forever sought after. From the feathered headdress worn for the 1986 Academy Awards, to the iconic naked dress worn to Cher’s first Met Gala in 1974 (Clark, n.d.).
So what does it take for one to get to this position, to move past simply being an influencer, to become the ambassador, the face of the brand?
One of the traditional rules of luxury brands is to avoid using celebrities, or well-known stars. Using the wrong celebrity could have a backlash on the brand if they do not reflect the image of the brand, and typically, luxury brands do not need celebrities to sell products, as their products and quality speak for themselves. However, we have seen the phenomenon of celebrities being used in luxury marketing rise in popularity in the past few decades. In this decision, brands must choose celebrities that align with the goals, values and authentic personality of the brand. Using a celebrity in marketing and advertising materials can go one of two ways; the followers of the celebrities may latch onto the luxury brand, increasing sales, or the current customers of the brand may resent the choice of celebrity and can decrease sales and rid the brand of current customers.
The decision to name a celebrity as the face of a luxury brand is one that can have an enduring impact on a brand for years to come, and is not a choice that can be made lightly. It often makes me wonder who will be named the face of Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, or Gucci in 2024.
Sources:
Bob Mackie recalls dressing Cher in that incredible naked dress. (2022, July 20). Grazia USA. https://graziamagazine.com/us/articles/bob-mackie-recalls-dressing-cher-naked-dress/
Dingler, C. (2023, March 24). Cher and Bob Mackie: the iconic fashion duo. Cher — Official Site. https://www.cherfanclub.com/post/cher-and-bob-mackie-the-iconic-fashion-duo
Fraser, K. (2020, September 6). Jane Birkin wants Hermès to stop using her name for Birkin bag. FashionUnited. https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/jane-birkin-wants-herme-s-to-stop-using-her-name-for-birkin-bag/201507297671
Friedman, V. (2018, March 13). Givenchy and Hepburn: The Original Brand Ambassadors. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/fashion/hubert-de-givenchy-audrey-hepburn-designer-muse.html
Laver, M. (2022, July 23). Dior | What does it take to be the face of a luxury brand? Ddw. https://www.dontdiewondering.com/dior/
Rae, C. (2023, January 29). His muse, her armour — Queen’s fashion industry network. Queen’s Fashion Industry Network. https://www.queensfashionindustrynetwork.com/blog/his-muse-her-armour#:~:text=While%20reflecting%20on%20their%20relationship,but%20carefully%20and%20beautifully%20constructed.
Sangster, E. (2022, September 16). Fashion’s most famous muses. Harper’s Bazaar Australia. https://harpersbazaar.com.au/famous-fashion-designer-muses/
Scemama, J. (2023, July 19). Jane Birkin: the story of the Hermès Birkin bag. Vogue France. https://www.vogue.fr/article/hermes-birkin-bag-story-jane-birkin
