Balenciaga is back. And on Instagram.
Balenciaga was seen as a pioneering brand of fashion tabula rasa on Instagram. For the past two years, after almost every season, or at least every launch, any images and posts have been removed from the brand’s official Instagram profile – now they’ve suddenly reappeared.
For the first time, Balenciaga deleted all posts on Instagram on July 15, 2021. The move was part of a marketing campaign for the then-fall collection meant to symbolize a “reset” for the brand. With an empty feed, only one post was left on Balenciaga’s Instagram account, a black and white video teaser for the new collection.
Pictures from the archive reappeared
Since Friday, 36 images originally published between 2018 and 2021 have been retrieved from the Instagram archive. Balenciaga’s feed, which is often tongue-in-cheek renditions of unexpected or surreal moments — a purse disguised as a skateboard, a bag of baguettes on a supermarket trolley, a teacup next to a pair of sunglasses — was far more entertaining than most marketing’s feeds driven fashion brands where campaigns, red carpets and celebrities drive all content.
Why Balenciaga restored the images from the archives is not known, but perhaps it has to do with the brand’s recent ‘reset’. After falling out over a campaign last year, Balenciaga is now refocusing on the brand’s craftsmanship, heritage and cornerstones.
Known for innovative and avant-garde designs, Balenciaga consistently pushes the boundaries of fashion and challenges traditional notions of style. But there’s also a sense of humor and wit, not only in the way Creative Director Demna transforms the everyday into desirable objects and garments, but also in the way the brand manipulates perception of photography and allure . The images are entertaining, but they also have depth, are sharp and relevant. It is all the better that they are now visible again.
This translated post previously appeared on FashionUnited.com.