Did Balenciaga just pull a Bottega Veneta stunt by removing its Instagram post history? That’s what some people were left wondering after the house’s account mysteriously appeared bare today.
With the Demna Gvasalia-headed brand set to unveil its much-anticipated return to haute couture on July 7, it’s more likely that the social media and marketing departments are merely doing some spring cleaning by archiving (archiving — not deleting — being the operative word) older posts ahead of the big reveal. Still, in the creative director age, where every action from luxury big-hitters is scrutinized under the microscope, one can be forgiven for questioning whether the move is indicative of some abrupt change in strategy.
I wrote about the upcoming show and why it’s a huge moment for Gvasalia’s Balenciaga tenure in a post last year. “I think men came to the point that they want to wear couture as well, and I know that we have some customers that will love that,” Gvasalia explained to WWD. “I want to kind of erase the gender identification of couture being only for women, or only for older women who have money to afford it.” The house has established a dedicated team that will work solely on couture and is also replicating the original salons at Balenciaga’s historical address at 10 Avenue George V.
It’s shaping up to be the buzziest couture week in ages. As well as the returning Balenciaga, Pyer Moss will debut its first couture collection, while we also anticipate plenty of men’s gems at Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Valentino. Kim Jones will show his latest work at Fendi, and we will finally get to see Chitose Abi of sacai’s first effort for Jean Paul Gaultier. Stay tuned for our reviews next week.