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.
Balenciaga and Kim Kardashian are making it official.
After months of repping the French luxury brand — including on the Met Gala red carpet, the “Saturday Night Live” stage, and during paparazzi-conscious outings with boyfriend Pete Davidson — the reality TV and social media star is now starring in her first official campaign for Balenciaga.
2021 saw Balenciaga push for higher visibility, particularly in the buoyant US luxury market, by tapping major celebrities like singer Justin Bieber and actress Isabelle Huppert for its campaigns. The brand also partnered with cult animated show The Simpsons on a special episode and capsule collection
In the February 2022 campaign, which highlights carry-over staples designed by creative director Demna like Hourglass bags, Cagole boots and Triple S Sneakers, Bieber and Huppert appear again in addition to Kardashian, who was photographed in her Calabasas home.
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The move is the latest example of how Balenciaga is leaning more heavily than ever on Kardashian and the musician formerly known as Kanye West (her estranged husband, who now simply goes by “Ye”). Balenciaga has dressed Ye for most of his recent public engagements, and is set to collaborate with his label Yeezy on a line of special-edition products for the Gap.
Learn more:
The Business Vision Behind Balenciaga’s ‘New Era’
From a couture revival to winning the Met Gala, the Kering-owned brand is white-hot. Ahead of its buzzed-about Paris Fashion Week show Saturday, CEO Cedric Charbit speaks to BoF about the strategy behind ‘new era’ Balenciaga and his plan for pushing sales to the next level.
The group’s flagship Prada brand grew more slowly but remained resilient in the face of a sector-wide slowdown, with retail sales up 7 percent.
The guidance was issued as the French group released first-quarter sales that confirmed forecasts for a slowdown. Weak demand in China and poor performance at flagship Gucci are weighing on the group.
Consumers face less, not more, choice if handbag brands can't scale up to compete with LVMH, argues Andrea Felsted.
As the French luxury group attempts to get back on track, investors, former insiders and industry observers say the group needs a far more drastic overhaul than it has planned, reports Bloomberg.