This chapter sets out to explore the idea of creativity that defines the label “luxury fashion” in a time when the luxury sector has expanded globally. If luxury is commonly perceived as something opulent, comfortable, and exclusive, the notion of luxury fashion is much more imprecise.

Therefore on one level, I suggest three major hallmarks of luxury fashion, namely craftwork, original design, and timeless expression, that together can sustain the idea of creativity. Different designers’ statements on the nature and conditions of their work, together with media representations of the creative process, are explored as a way to understand the view of this industry.

On a second level, I explore the effects of media power activism on this acclaimed creativity and the ethical issues that this activism is raising in the twenty-first century. An examination of the critical posts of the activist Instagram account Diet Prada, which has millions of followers, reveals serious accusations against the luxury brands, where duplication of design, racism, and cultural appropriation are recurrent features. For the theoretical framework, the work of R. Sennett (2008) is used to define the idea of crafted work, while Bourdieu's claims on the objet d’art and the creator's signature (1995) help to shed light on the significance of the current accusations leveled against the brands. The results show that the luxury industry lacks rules of ethical conduct, and that social media activism has succeeded in revealing the lack of truthfulness of this global industry. What we experience today is a new unfavorable public opinion on the privileged world of luxury fashion, raised by the power of social media activism.