LA Vamp: How Balenciaga is still connecting with A list celebrities after last year’s scandal
Cardi B walks in Balenciaga’s their Fall 2024 show in Beverly Hills, making this her runway debut
By Morgan Smith
Fashion is not adverse to scandal. If anything, alongside the glamour and spectacle, the industry capitalises on controversy as part of its marketing machine. We all know stories that tell this tale. People were surprised at the Lagerfield themed Met Gala despite all of his publicly known prejudices, Phoebe Philo’s namesake brand was successfully launched despite Iman sharing her story about Philo’s resistance to model diversity. All too often, controversy doesn’t affect a brand’s ability to sell or a designer’s legacy.
In November 2022 Balenciaga released their holiday gift campaign. The images featured children posing with BDSM inspired teddy bear bags, stirring up outcry from public figures and satanic panic from channels like Fox News. Videos of Balenciaga items being destroyed circulated and celebrities like Kim Kardashian released statements on the incident questioning the future of their relationship with the brand.
Kendall Jenner and Kim Kardashian
Christine Chiu
Balenciaga initially started a lawsuit against the production company who produced the shoot. This was later dropped and 5 different senior staff members of staff issued public apologies. Despite this there is still a lack of clarity on accountability for the scandal. Crisis management has been hired, but no other organisational changes have been made. Balenciaga is part of the Kerring group, and their individual company financials are not publicly reported. The ‘other luxury’ group they are part of has been down 19% year on year. However, with the backing of such a large conglomerate, it does beg the question of whether some brands can be too big and to fail?
In March 2023, in typical Demna fashion, the brand was selling ‘destroyed’ shoes and jeans for upward of $1000. He has since said that his intention is to focus on the clothing, but his mood always shifts between the product and the spectacle. Demna has leveraged tongue in cheek provocations at Balenciaga, reimagining Ikea blue bags and bin bags. Products like these have been highly criticised, while still being publicised, documented and often selling out. Usually the focus is on the high/low distinction, but with the latest Erewhon collaboration, it’s clear that the focus is on celebrities and celebrity culture.
A bag from Balenciaga’s latest Erewhon collection
Ikea Balenciaga frakta blue bag 2017
There was a significant celebrity turn out to their pre-fall showing. They announced Nicole Kidman as a new Brand Ambassador and had Cardi B walk the catwalk. Kim Kardashian posed with the Erewhon collab leather tote, VIPs mused on what could be in the signature black Erewon x Balenciaga juice for Tik Tok. The show’s location and styling spoke to celebrity culture in the hills too. From looks that wouldn’t be out of place for y2k paparazzi photos, to modern tailoring and statement looks that would appear on the red carpet today, Balenciaga’s Pre-fall was considered, its target audience was the celebrities they dress and those who aspire to look like them.
Nicole Kidman said ‘Balenciaga has been with me through some of the most memorable events of my life, from my wedding to the Oscars red carpet’. Other brand ambassadors remark on the creativity, originality and relevance of the brand. There is a perception of Balenciaga in our culture as iconic, from the American Horror Story ‘Balenciaga’ scene to Kim’s circa SNL ‘Balenci Barbie’ rebrand. For Kim K, invoking the name of the fashion house has helped to situate within the fashion. Since working with Balenciaga as an ambassador, Kim K has gone on to secure deals with D&G, Fendi and Swarovski personally and through her brand Skims.
Nicole Kidman
Teyana Taylor
Though some critics have perceived Balenciaga’s celebrity and influencer engagement strategies as short term, there does seem to be a careful curation of talent. Some celebrities operate within the realm of influencer marketing like the Kardashians or Lisa Rinna. They can be guaranteed to drive press hits and social media engagement. Formal Brand ambassadors like Isabelle Huppert, Michele Yeoh and Nicole Kidman lend a sense of elegance and legitimacy to the brand, commenting on the legacy of craft and mirroring that through their acclaimed work and the length of their careers.
Balenciaga is betting on encompassing both the high and the low ends of culture to create viral moments and grow the brand. Though we can infer that sales have been down from the scandal in 2022, they seem to be betting on a combined talent strategy to drive engagement. The scandalous flashy viral moments get attention and engagement from social media personalities, legitimising them within the fashion space and fitting in with the ‘all publicity is good publicity’ model. The ambassador scheme aims to focus attention on the craftsmanship and history of the house with Celebrities that are royalty on the Red Carpet.
A-List celebrities pose and smile as they are pictured front row at Balenciaga’s Fall 2024 show in Beverly Hills