Montreux Jazz Festival breaks tradition with fashion designer Kévin Germanier for 60th anniversary poster

When Keith Haring picked up a brush in 1983 to create the Montreux Jazz Festival poster, and when David Bowie took his turn in 1995, they were participating in a tradition that had already established itself as one of the most prestigious commissions in visual arts.

Since 1967, the Swiss festival has handed creative freedom to painters, illustrators and graphic designers, building a collection of posters that chart nearly six decades of visual culture.

This year, however, the festival has made a decision that signals something more significant than simply choosing another artist.