In a trend that parallels the hair industry, fashion's big labels are shedding name designers and their expensive entourages.

Nina Ricci is a merry-go-round of designers with little impact and Gucci shocked the industry when it didn't renew the contract of Tom Ford and "replaced him with a troika of unknown designers", according to an article in a recent Wall Street Journal.

Diesel's new lines are, part and parcel, rendered by a group of unknowns after the departure of Martin Margiela. A press release announced in December 2009, that Margiela "has left the business. No replacement creative director will be appointed."

The temperamental designer Lilo was blamed for the disaster that was Ungaro and was dismissed in 2009, after the house presented the first collection designed by Estrella Archs under the artistic advisement of Lindsay Lohan. Yes, you heard right.

The new Creative force at Diesel is a magazine editor and the apparent creative force at Ungaro is, well, whack. Creativity is taking a back seat to market development in a down and out economy. The shirts are calling the shots.

This is part of a trend for fashion houses, in a consolidation fury to shed brand names, luxury lines and costly operations.

Robert Cromeans is still Global Artistic Director of Paul Mitchell and Christopher and Sonya Dove still head Wella Professional, but the trend in the salon products world is to either contract artists with successful training academies or to select representatives with limited cachet and no staffing needs.

Gone are the days when companies would exhibit at several dozen shows each year and develop creative directors on the wheel of their schedule. These creative directors were given the time to develop teams who understood the vision of their leaders.

A handful of years ago, hair shows produced a sense of purpose and one could anticipate moments of clarity and brilliance from the teams onstage.

Now, attendees see individual artists presenting the things they do best with nary a thought to its impact on the successful implementation of products in the salon.

Lost, too, is the opportunity for top salons to attend shows and take home looks that will be seen on women across America.

You have to wait for the newest reality show on cable to know what the newest looks in hair and makeup are going to be. Those looks have a half-life of ten minutes and rarely relate to fashion trends.

Not all is bleak and dissipated. This is not to disparage the obvious talents of the new kids on the walk, like Kieron Webb, Artistic Director of TIGI. It is, however, a comfort to know Anthony Mascolo is still the creative heart of what once was TIGI.

We wish Kieron the best, but his efforts and the worthy efforts of artists like Kenneth Paves and Kim Vo will not be enough to produce a flood of women demanding the newest looks. Nor will they open their doors to see salons lined up for education in the techniques necessary to produce those looks.

They presently lack the financial support necessary create the sense and sensibility of such a major push. Only the big Hair product companies have that clout and they are not in a giving mood.

They are throwing creativity under the bus. You cannot have your laser focus be on price points and marketing sub-issues and create any type of trend.

Does anyone remember Vidal Sassoon, Trevor Sorbie, the original TIGI and Jose Eber? They didn't just make a bunch of noise and heat and see what flew. They planned and executed with models and clinics until they had an offering that worked with the creative needs of successful fashion houses.

They did it much like Robert Cromeans, the Doves, Michael Shaun Corby and Oribe are doing it today without support of the big fashion houses. At least, we have that.

Article by: Edward Paul - Capelli d'Oro ©2010