Demna Gvasalia - Designer, Creative Director of Balenciaga

[LadyJunon]

American Vogue published their annual interview with retailers around what sold best in the 2022 calendar year.

Balencaiga isn't mentioned once. This is a blatant absence when every other major brand is mentioned multiple times by multiple retailers.

Balenciaga was obviously a mover from Q1 - Q3 across all categories and genders. There's no way to read into this omission than legal teams –Conde, retailer in-house, or both– advising that the brand expunged from the interviews and/or the published piece.

One of Condé Nasty's more logical choices this year. While acknowledging Balenciaga's sales numbers are objective, acknowledging them is the back alley to "PR Nightmare Boulevard".

 

[Drusilla_]

American Vogue published their annual interview with retailers around what sold best in the 2022 calendar year.

Balencaiga isn't mentioned once. This is a blatant absence when every other major brand is mentioned multiple times by multiple retailers.

Balenciaga was obviously a mover from Q1 - Q3 across all categories and genders. There's no way to read into this omission than legal teams –Conde, retailer in-house, or both– advising that the brand expunged from the interviews and/or the published piece.

This is one hundred percent a PR strategy to avoid stoking that particular flame again so close to end of year. It was hype and sellout after hype and sellout all through, there was no way they weren't raking it in from all those logoed things until the scandal hit.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Oh how I would love to know Balenciaga's sales figures right now.

My suspicion is that they're abysmal if not non-existent.

 

[reese06]

i can't imagine how they can even hold a presentation or do a proper drop/release of a new collection with Demna still at the helm.

I now think his era of Balenciaga is over.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

So I checked in with a buyer I know at a major American dept store, she said prior to the scandal, the brand had been doing between $400k-$600k a week and is now in the negatives.

This is a complete and total meltdown. The business has evaporated over night.

It think we can go ahead and start speculating who the next designer is going to be.

 

[gallianostan]

So I checked in with a buyer I know at a major American dept store, she said prior to the scandal, the brand had been doing between $400k-$600k a week and is now in the negatives.

 

[KoV]

I don’t think it’s as simple as hiring a new designer. Many of the people upset about this don’t really know any of the details of the brand’s team. It would take a massive, massive PR campaign against Demna specifically to try to get the general public to accept the narrative that he alone was to blame. I mean, some are taking this so far as to trying to shame everyone into boycotting ALL Kering brands. I think they're either waiting for it to blow over or they're getting ready to clean house and shut the brand down for a while. 6 weeks already of hemorrhaging sales in the busiest and most lucrative season of the year. It feels like they think even addressing it further right now is just giving oxygen to the fire and they're trying to buy time to make the best (fiscal) decision. But I don't see how they recover if they just try and let it blow over. Celebrities and influencers aren't going to want to be associated for fear of backlash and that was how current-era Balenciaga was selling all this foul looking sh!t to begin with.

 

[LadyJunon]

I love how this all happened after the 10th anniversary of Ghesquiére's last show and departure from Balenciaga.

He had always been at odds with the suits there since the PPR/Kering acquisition and now he's nine years into one of the most coveted jobs in high fashion, while his bosses deal with a PR Nightmare because of his replacement.

It's all sweet delicious irony, really.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

I don’t think it’s as simple as hiring a new designer. Many of the people upset about this don’t really know any of the details of the brand’s team. It would take a massive, massive PR campaign against Demna specifically to try to get the general public to accept the narrative that he alone was to blame. I mean, some are taking this so far as to trying to shame everyone into boycotting ALL Kering brands. I think they're either waiting for it to blow over or they're getting ready to clean house and shut the brand down for a while. 6 weeks already of hemorrhaging sales in the busiest and most lucrative season of the year. It feels like they think even addressing it further right now is just giving oxygen to the fire and they're trying to buy time to make the best (fiscal) decision. But I don't see how they recover if they just try and let it blow over. Celebrities and influencers aren't going to want to be associated for fear of backlash and that was how current-era Balenciaga was selling all this foul looking sh!t to begin with.

Oh, Charbit is going too but speculating his replacement is less fun.

 

[KoV]

Oh, Charbit is going too but speculating his replacement is less fun.

But even that isn't going to be enough, I don't think. They were too slow to react, they underestimated the backlash and they didn't put forward a scapegoat quickly enough - or at all. As a result, the controversy isn't tied to any individual (an easy fix), it's tied to the brand name. The people protesting are out for blood and ousting people they've never heard of isn't going assuage them and fix the problem, at least not for a long while.

 

[gallianostan]

what a f*cking mess! shutting the house down for a while would be sad, though. as much as we enjoy dragging the house for its stupid gimmicks, and god knows i take immense joy in crucifying demna for being awful, the jobs of hundreds of people would be on the chopping block if that happened. i really hope it doesn't come to that.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

But even that isn't going to be enough, I don't think. They were too slow to react, they underestimated the backlash and they didn't put forward a scapegoat quickly enough - or at all. As a result, the controversy isn't tied to any individual (an easy fix), it's tied to the brand name. The people protesting are out for blood and ousting people they've never heard of isn't going assuage them and fix the problem, at least not for a long while.

I don't know if it will require all that, but it will require a total reset and a radical repositioning in the market.

Part of the issue is that they completely flushed the brand's heritage and values down the drain.

They're going to have to do all the work of building that back up. Which is total shame.

I doubt other luxury brands will make the same mistake any time soon.

 

[Lola701]

So I checked in with a buyer I know at a major American dept store, she said prior to the scandal, the brand had been doing between $400k-$600k a week and is now in the negatives.

This is a complete and total meltdown. The business has evaporated over night.

It think we can go ahead and start speculating who the next designer is going to be.

Does the numbers have affected the Asian market yet?
Because I get that the controversy was strongly received in the US but I wonder if it has had a worldwide impact.

I’m really curious to see how they will handle next FW. And now it’s Prefall going to menswear season and I wonder how retailers are going to deal with it. Because I’m not sure the radio silence strategy is going to work indefinitely.

 

[Bugsy]

Is Balenciaga ruined?

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Does the numbers have affected the Asian market yet?
Because I get that the controversy was strongly received in the US but I wonder if it has had a worldwide impact.

I’m really curious to see how they will handle next FW. And now it’s Prefall going to menswear season and I wonder how retailers are going to deal with it. Because I’m not sure the radio silence strategy is going to work indefinitely.

Its been a disaster in Europe.

I don't know if it has or hasn't in Asia but that market has been overrated, China in particular has been in a huge slump because of covid restrictions. No one is looking to it for growth.

Irregardless of the scandal, it was never going to be their saving grace.

North America was supposed to be Balenciaga's cash cow.

The buyer I know slashed their budget. I expect the void in sales is happening across all retail and everyone will (not) buy accordingly.

This isn't just a decline or a drop in sales, the entire business has disappeared. Vanished. Obliterated.

 

[susseinmcswanny]

I keep forgetting I have a balenciaga sleeping mask I got from when I needed to use up points on modaoperandi. I'm gonna get cancelled so hard next time I try to sleep on a flight lol

 

[LadyJunon]

I keep forgetting I have a balenciaga sleeping mask I got from when I needed to use up points on modaoperandi. I'm gonna get cancelled so hard next time I try to sleep on a flight lol

Just lie and say it's by Ghesquiére or Thimister.

 

[Lola701]

Just lie and say it's by Ghesquiére or Thimister.

Just in case she meets Ralph Rucci.

 

[Norden]

I was in Paris last week. And balenciaga stores and shop in shops are empty while others are busy. If they’re able to turn this around they’re geniuses.

 

[gallianostan]

I keep forgetting I have a balenciaga sleeping mask I got from when I needed to use up points on modaoperandi. I'm gonna get cancelled so hard next time I try to sleep on a flight lol

i have a pair of sunglasses that i just got... but i'll be damned if i let some evangelical qanon freaks stop me from exercising my rights as a consumer.