The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
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This year, Balenciaga proved that building hype doesn’t have to come at the expense of timelessness — a common misconception, especially in fashion. Chunky dad sneakers and sweatshirts emblazoned with logos can be sold alongside little black dresses and classic tailoring.
“I often say we redefined luxury,” Cédric Charbit, the brand’s chief executive, said at BoF VOICES. “We became a platform where anything is possible.” Varied activations, from a special episode of “The Simpsons” screened at the end of the brand’s show at Paris Fashion Week to a couture exhibition at the Tank Museum in Shanghai demonstrate the “elasticity” of the brand, a key to its success, said Charbit.
In 2021, the 103-year-old brand continued to shape the discourse, reactivating its legacy in haute couture while forging a new path in digital fashion with a partnership with the gaming platform Fortnite. Looking ahead, Charbit said he sees the metaverse as vital to the future of marketing and commerce as today’s consumers become more “active participants” in the brands they follow, announcing the formation of a new business unit dedicated to virtual fashion.
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“Right now the climax of interaction with a luxury brand is that you click like, or comment or buy something,” he said. “I think we can get to a next level.”
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The Kering-owned brand is creating a dedicated business unit to explore opportunities for marketing and commerce in the buzzy “metaverse,” chief executive Cédric Charbit said, speaking at BoF’s annual VOICES gathering.
Demna Gvasalia’s latest alternative to a runway show brought a Paris audience to its feet, reports Tim Blanks.
The collaboration spans virtual and physical clothes, as well as a marketing campaign that will appear on billboards in cities like New York and Tokyo, as well as in Fortnite itself.
Imran Amed is the Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Business of Fashion. Based in London, he shapes BoF’s overall editorial strategy and is the host of The BoF Podcast.
After a decade of turnaround attempts, the British trenchcoat maker’s efforts to thrive as a top luxury player continue to falter. The brand needs more accessible prices and marketing — and quick.
The designer joins BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed to discuss the ups and downs of his career in fashion and why his new label Donde Esteban is the most authentic manifestation of his creativity.
The management shakeup was announced as the Cartier owner reported mixed sales results including an unexpected turnaround in the US.
CEO Daniel Lalonde hopes to stand out from competitors in the luxury design segment by spotlighting the group’s most recognisable brands.