Friday, February 19, 2021

This Is Why Bottega’s Instagram Went Dark

When Bottega Veneta signed out of social media in January, the fashion world heralded “logging off” or “offline-ing” as the ultimate luxury in an increasingly digital world. Now the brand’s parent company Kering has shed light on the game plan of creative director Daniel Lee, who once told Vogue that he didn’t believe in virtual fashion shows.

“Regarding its digital communication strategy, it’s not disappearing from social networks – it’s merely using them differently,” Kering chairman and chief executive officer François-Henri Pinault told WWD. “Bottega has decided, in line with its positioning, to lean much more on its ambassadors and fans by giving them the material they need to talk about the brand through various social networks, by letting them speak for the brand rather than doing it itself.”


Translation: Lee’s loyal cohort, such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hailey Bieber, Rihanna and all the Kardashian-Jenners, are making sure Bottega has a presence on the ’gram. These “organic” posts from celebrities showing how to style the brand’s Puddle boots, The Pouches and Cassette bags translate into more social currency than its runway shows, which are closed to the public.

Bottega’s visually arresting campaigns always make their way onto Stories via #mood posts of fans buying into Lee’s whole world, not just his squishy accessories. Take the label’s Salon 01 imagery, shot by frequent Bottega collaborator Tyrone Lebon, which put the emphasis squarely on sofas, rather than its new knitted handbags. The shot of a Dalmation yawning on the lap of German model Emil Schueler, who reclines on a tactile multi-coloured woven sofa matching his trousers and slippers, blew up on social. Lee once again showed his dexterity at tapping into our current MO, when lockdown life has us searching for interiors rather than street-style accessories.

“I have to say that after a month and a half, it’s pretty convincing in terms of Bottega Veneta’s visibility, and we are monitoring it quite precisely,” commented Pinault, who also added that every brand within the Kering stable, from Balenciaga to Alexander McQueen, has its own social proposition. Bottega’s offline blueprint is so far paying off, but what will the future hold when its incoming global social media manager takes the reins?

No comments:

Post a Comment