The death of artistry?

I picked up the December issue ofVogue Portugal and I was immediatly grabbed by the Editorial note from Paula Mateus, editor-in-chief. She talks about the latest news about the exodus of criative directors Albert Elbaz (Lanvin) and Raf Simmons (Christian Dior).
The motive for these unexpected exits? The fast fast pace of fashion nowadays. This made me think about the fast, fast pace of life in general, wich I'm absolutly feeling in the past six months, but let's return to fashion. What I felt was really ironic was the use of the expression "fast fashion" alongside the name of two of the most revered fashion houses and their respective designers.

Raf Simmons talked about this subject in a recent interview he gave System Magazine, before he anounced his departure from his two year job at Dior. Well, what Raf says is baffling, he talks about the difficult crative timings he has during the season, he says:

 "Tokyo was also done in three weeks. Actually everything is done in three weeks, maximum five. And when I think back to the first couture show for Dior, in July 2012, I was concerned because we only had eight weeks."

If you watched the amazing documentary "Dior and I" then you saw the struggle of developing ideas and concepts for a collection and producing the clothes in a such a tight schedule. Now Raf tell us that those 8 weeks were actually the longest he had to develop his ideas for Dior, we can see how this was a recipe for disaster.

This fast pace burns out criativity, destroyes the potential of these talented designers and it will eventually kill the soul of these fashion houses. We shouldn't strangle the potential of these brilliant minds, give them space, give them time and we'll have magic. This fleeting pace only works for true "fast fashion" brands where, most of the times, numbers surpasse the concern for originality, vision, and artistry. If the historic fashion houses are using the same method as these major fashion distribution groups, that are all about profits, then how can you preserve the artistry? I hope they find a way.