The brand’s Instagram account, which boasted 2.5 million followers, has been completely deleted. Same for the brand’s Twitter account. Its official Facebook page still remains online, but all content, including every photo and post, has been completely scrubbed. Only the profile photo remains. The house, currently helmed by creative director Daniel Lee, has released no official explanation.
So what happens when aspirational luxury intentionally removes itself from social media? Bottega Veneta is testing that theory. On Tuesday, January 5, the fashion industry was shocked to discover the label disappeared from Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Is the purpose to promote a more exclusive brand identity, or is it simply a new marketing strategy, to garner the fashion industry’s attention?
The mysterious move comes as the brand has never been more buzzy. Since taking over in 2018, Lee has turned out hit after hit. Numerous silhouettes, including the BV Jodie, the Pouch, and the Cassette, have reached It bag status. Its chunky Tire boots are a staple of fashion insiders and Instagram influencers. As if cementing the brand’s current status, every single member of BTS wore head-to-toe Bottega Veneta at last year’s Grammy awards.
But big, flashy marketing schemes aren’t exactly Lee’s forte. If you recall, Lee likes to stick to the brand’s roots, even choosing to host a real-life fashion show amid the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the fashion industry’s nearly collective decision to go virtual. The show’s film was later shared on social media, including on its YouTube page, which curiously still exists.
So why would Bottega delete?
Well, the label could be taking a page out of the celebrity handbook. Major musicians have frequently wiped their entire Instagram grids in the past, only to update with the announcement of a new album a few days later. Blake Lively once did the same thing before dropping the trailer for her film A Simple Favor on the ’gram. Perhaps Bottega is trying to drum up buzz before unveiling its spring summer 2021 advertising campaign (it is that time of year, after all).
The Italian fashion house, while under the creative directorship of Phoebe Philo, was, for years, one of the few notable holdouts to purposely stay off of Instagram. The brand only joined the social platform in February 2017, about nine months before Philo stepped down. It has since embraced social media fullheartedly under her replacement, Hedi Slimane, and ever since then. The brand even casted a TikTok star in one of its campaigns.
Though, staying off social media for the long term does make a certain amount of sense for Bottega Veneta in particular. Discretion is baked right into the house’s code. Flashiness and thirst for relevancy has never been its style. It is one of the few fashion labels that would never dream of printing its name or logo on the outside of its bags. Celebrities, meanwhile, don’t front its campaigns; that’s reserved for actual models only. Instead, it relies on a few “if you know, you know” recurring motifs—most famously, it’s Intrecciato woven leather—to distinguish itself. Vogue once coined the term “stealth wealth” to describe the brand’s appeal. In other words, the brand’s clientele is traditionally not the type to flaunt it all on Instagram.
Bottega Veneta doesn’t have to be a part of the conversation to ensure its name remains on the tip of our tongues.
“It was good to grow up in the pre-Instagram era: we had a lot of fun,” Lee said in a 2019 British Vogue interview. “It will be interesting to see what happens in the future. I believe there will be a return to privacy. I really hope so.”