Balenciaga deleted its entire social media feed in July to announce a return to haute couture. It seems that it did it again two months later. The French luxury house has only seven posts on its feed at the time of writing, all items that can be purchased from its latest collection. They include models Justin Bieber and other well-known celebrities.
Cleaning up the social media slate
Editing or erasing social networks feeds can be attributed to a new designer taking over a maison. This is usually Hedi Slimane at Celine or Bottega Veneta, when it launched its magazine. It is rare to erase a history or images from the same designer’s tenure, but Demna Gvasalia, Balenciaga’s creative director has helped the brand flourish since her departure from Vetements. Bottega’s creative director Daniel Lee decided to delete all posts and its entire accounts. He also chose when images and information would be released. This was in keeping with old-school public relations.
Balenciaga’s Fall 2021 could be viewed as a new era in marketing, at least for the time being. Kim Kardashian arrived in New York on Sunday for the Met Ball wearing head-to-toe Balenciaga leather. She wore a gimp mask and gloves as well as thigh-high boots and a leather trench. Gvasalia was the stylist behind Kanye West’s new album. Kardashian appears to have entered into a new partnership, though the terms have not been disclosed. In several photos, Kardashian is seen carrying Balenciaga’s new bag, the Hourglass top-hand XS bag. It retails at 1,450 pounds. These appearances are not coincidental, and they are business. Business Insider reports that Kardashian’s Instagram endorsement fees range from 300,000 to 500,000 USD for one post. A brand like Balenciaga will most likely have a long-term endorsement agreement.
