– and designers are expected to toe the line.

A general industry consensus has gradually but surely emerged: in order to keep labels expanding – or simply afloat – the 21st-century des­igner, at whatever stage of his or her career, must be more commercially savvy than ever before.

Leading the changes are luminaries such as Christopher Bailey at Burberry. Appointed chief creative officer in 2009 – a hybrid title reflecting the dualistic nature of his role at the company, which currently has a market capitalisation of about £6.85bn – Mr Bailey is a visionary who blurred the lines between trade and entertainment. By recognising the explosive growth that would be possible through expansion into the digital realm in terms of both marketing and selling, he became an architect of thethe international front row, who oversees his own highly successful eponymous label as well as being creative director at Parisian design house Balenciaga, a position he took on at the end of 2012.

He had learnt technical skills at Parsons, the New York design school, but “had next to no business experience. The idea of a show was comical at the time – we had just six samples, which we knew we had to sell no matter what if there was going to be another collection.” Three internships – at Marc Jacobs, Barneys and Teen Vogue – gave him an on-the-ground reality check, as well as exposure to every facet of the industry, he adds.

“We design around 180 items per collection and I oversee 32 collections between the two