After a life-changing two years, Balenciaga has blended its brand to be considered both hype and timeless luxury. For the past two years, fashion has made some of the biggest statements, and Balenciaga made calculated decisions on making sure that the brand not only stayed at the top but redefined what it meant to be luxury.
In 2020, the world went through a global pandemic, manufacturers closed down, everyone stayed home and there were no social events or outings for a month. In that time, the virtual or metaverse became popular for everyone, from using zoom to see friends, or playing videogames to pass the time, everyone was in the same boat and that boat was pretty rocky.
Balenciaga took a smart turn, not knowing where the world was going they decided to keep the brand relevant, but also make sure it still stood the test of time. In a world where fashion almost came to a halt, Balenciaga took their fashion to the metaverse, a fictional place where people went to distract themselves for a few hours of the day.
Balenciaga is a high-end luxury fashion brand, one that is known for mastering the definition of couture and challenging brands that stand alongside it like Dior, Gucci and Prada. The Spanish brand, although based in the fashion capital of the world, Paris, took a turn in 2020. Chief executive Cédric Charbit stated at the BOF Voices gathering “The use-ability [of digital fashion] is the point that’s missing, but that’s making gigantic steps every day, Right now the climax of interaction with a luxury brand is that you click like, or comment or buy something.”
Charbit has a very genius approach when handling the pandemic but also following the change of the fashion industry as a whole.
In 2020, Balenciaga was one of the first brands to virtually release their collection via a videogame fashion show. In the videogame Fortnite, Balenciaga dressed characters in the new Fall 2021 collection, which brought them one step closer into the metaverse. By using the videogame as a way to release the collection was not only innovative but smart when connecting the hype beast world with the timeless luxury world.
With an introduction to the metaverse, Balenciaga has allowed itself to be the first innovative brand to embrace the change instead of steer clear of it. Using the metaverse to keep the fashion industry alive was a smart choice by the luxury brand, and since then, the world has not only adapted to the virtual fashion world but has allowed Balenciaga to stay on top and be considered the most relevant.
Article published by HOLR Magazine