- by Michelle Fleury
- North American Business Correspondent, New York
Fans of DJ Khaled recently stopped traffic on the streets of Miami.
The audience didn’t come together to announce a new album.
They were there to check out the recording artist’s new concept store. The store is a huge space filled with “athleisure wear” and sneakers, the result of his work with German streetwear company Snipes.
“Today was a very special day, thank you Fanlove!” later wrote A series of Instagram posts featured videos of him talking to shoppers and promoting the national anthem, “Let’s Go Shopping.”
The Grammy-winning music mogul isn’t just a brand hype.
Shortly after he started working for the brand, he was hired as Snipes’ chief creative officer, becoming the latest A-list name to turn celebrity profiles into executive titles—the role of senior executives.
It’s a title he doesn’t take lightly.
“They made me the face of the store. It was a great opportunity. And we ended up loving each other. Now I work for Snipes.” He told the BBC ahead of the store’s opening.
But what can celebrities like DJ Khaled really contribute to the role of creative director?
Producers point out that he’s more than just a celebrity.
According to Snipes CEO and founder Sven Voth, the appointment of DJ Khaled raised eyebrows outside the company when it was first announced in 2019.
“All Americans thought this German guy was a little crazy, because this was a little over the top,” he says.
At the time, there were only 65 Snipes stores in the United States.
Vose credits the rapper’s dedication to helping the company grow to over 300 stores today.
“I think that was the best starting point for us,” he says.
The Return of a Celebrity Creative Director
DJ Khaled’s role is part of a resurgent trend for celebrities to occupy top positions in companies.
A creative director has traditionally been the person who defines a brand’s creative vision, from sketching collections to overseeing advertising campaigns and boutique designs.
With celebrity creative directors onboard, the rules become more fluid, reflecting changes in how brands harness celebrity power.
Matt Nastos, CEO of digital marketing agency Maison MRKT, said companies are looking for a deeper “brand personification” by using celebrities.
“While relationships with brand ambassadors are more temporary, having a celebrity as part of your organization implies an implied credibility and longevity.”
celebrity mismatch
Pairing doesn’t always work.
Nearly 15 years ago, Emmanuel Ungaro president Mounir Mufariju hired Lindsay Lohan as creative director to revitalize the struggling fashion brand.
The 2009 show was a disaster, plagued by wardrobe malfunctions and an unoriginal design characterized only by heart excess.
Renowned New York Times fashion writer Susie Menkes wrote at the time, “Sunday’s Emmanuel Ungaro show may go down in history as the last gasp of celebrity madness.”
Godfrey Deeney, the fashion network’s international editor-in-chief, says the Lohan incident “has kept everyone away from the idea for a long time.”
However, things changed when the hip-hop community got involved.
“They had very different ideas about style and how they wanted things to look,” says Deeney. “And to the surprise of many French and European executives, it really connected with a new audience, a new generation.”
Designer and DJ Virgil Abloh symbolized a monumental change. His work with Kanye West impressed the fashion industry, and his rapport with the rapper propelled him to creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, penetrating the world of rare high fashion.
Part of this trend can be attributed to the rise of hip-hop’s medium of choice, social media.
From Snapchat to Facebook, Instagram to Tik Tok, rap artists are leveraging these platforms to grow their fan bases. Whether it’s DJ Khaled’s Snapchat stardom or Lil Nas X pumping out memes on Platform X, formerly known as his Twitter.
And fashion brands want it too.
“When you look at the social media accounts that each of our creative directors have built, it’s become a giant megaphone for the brand,” says Matt Nastos.
Unlike traditional marketing, social media and the user information it collects allow these brands to target specific outcomes, such as chasing customers 5 or 10 years younger.
“They can then go through the matching process and understand how much overlap there is between different audiences,” he says, citing Pharrell’s inauguration at Louis Vuitton as an example. “There may be a subset of the audience within Louis Vuitton that they are trying to expand.”
Some may find it unfair that they are not qualified on paper. But social media has changed the way the world views brands.
And as long as it benefits the company, the celebrity creative director will remain here.
As DJ Khaled has been telling us for years with his hit “All I Do Is Win.”
Additional reporting by Nathalie Jimenez