Q̾u̾i̾c̾k̾ ̾F̾i̾r̾e̾: Chic Social Media, the Luxury Brands posting the best
From JACQUEMUS to MARC JACOBS and even anti-social BOTTEGA, we unpack how brands keep it lux on social media.
Join us at Softer Digital Futures event this Saturday (click here for tickets), we’ll be reporting on it next week!
MØRNING. Post-fashion month, we’ve got luxury brands on the brain. Specifically: how they show up on social media. The idea of luxury fashion seems naturally at odds with social media. It’s exclusive, quiet and steeped in tradition. Whereas social media is infinite, open and chaotic to its core, a game that luxury brands have been forced to play, in order to participate in their audiences’ lives. And who wants to be last on the bench, right?
So how can luxury brands win at socials? Sunnei learnt to ‘speak social’ like a first language. Burberry became so chronically online they pulled off a @sylvaniandrama TikTok collab. Coperni makes breaking the internet look easy.
For this week’s Quick Fire, MØRNING’s Emily and Sui have rounded up the best luxury social media in the business, to shed a little light. Read on to learn more…
For marketers and brands, the dance of the decade has been navigating social media. From adopting Instagram et al way back in 2014 to now carving out a place on saturated platforms, getting the right brand positioning while nailing performance, being cognitive of user context, oh, and leveraging trends of the day, it’s complex.
As a digital strategy agency, MØRNING has translated all kinds of brands to social: from making eco-tech pop on the ‘gram, to writing Tweets (or Xs?) on behalf of a global underwear company, to TikTok duetting with a cult comedian. However, what is often the hardest dance of them all, a tango if you will, is getting luxury right on social.
It’s a hard feat. How can you stay chic and successful on platforms where UGC of Ugly Vegan food gets triple the engagement of most high fashion accounts? Luxury brands could opt out, I guess. They don’t maintain that title by levelling with the common man. However as social media platforms popularised and became ‘the common’ - luxury brands couldn’t ignore them. They had to sign up to survive.
As mentioned, it’s a feat but it’s not impossible, and having worked on Luxury Social Media a fair bit ourselves, us MØRNING lot thought we’d take your hand and invite you to dance.
and a 5, 6, 7, 8 …
Firstly, Loewe: Internet Darlings Reinforcing Brand Values.
Back in 2022, Loewe threw its expertly crafted hat in the ring for luxury on social with an entertainment first TikTok strategy. On their account, both fashion and non-fashion influencers are truly given the licence to create. Creators are funny and sharp in their own way (see here and here), not in the way you would expect from one of the oldest luxury brands on the planet.
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Loewe tapped into the true essence of much popular content, aka a quick dopamine hit, ‘awww’ or ‘ooo’, and found the brand and product’s place within these parameters.
It's proof that leaning into internet humour needn’t compromise luxury status, but can in fact boost credibility with myriad audiences eager to participate. Loewe’s lesson: approach social strategy as an internet culture strategy. Don’t underestimate your consumer (as Jonathan Anderson once said), bring them in.
MARC JACOBS: Remaking with Gen Z (thus social) in mind.
Since Marc Jacob’s Gen Z focused offshoot Heaven peaked in 2020, then just kept on peaking, the eponymous label had some catching up to do. A swift 2023 account wipe and a few social smart partnerships later, and its future is looking bright.
Stand out ‘Real or Not Real’ Shadrinsky stunts like the great XL Sack Bag tumble meet offbeat presentation coverage by Gen Z favourite Emergency Intercom, a Harmony Korine zine, and more. Weaved into this is the revival of the brand’s legendary past. The cult favourite Kiki boot is consistently reimagined through social, and iconic collaborators like Cindy Sherman reintroduced.
Aligning the brand’s provocative past with an exciting new future, featuring emerging digital creatives like Shadrinsky at the helm, is smart. Not only is their past potentially unknown to nostalgia loving gen z, but more long standing fans also get to enjoy their part in the storytelling.
Gentle Monster: Concept as a gateway to clout.
Yes, Gentle Monster is a luxury eyewear brand, however it feels like an incomplete answer to call them just that.
It's difficult to choose the best example of a viral Gentle Monster moment. From the Jelly collection drop, to the D’Heygere collaboration piercing’d specs or the Gentle High School ‘Optical’ roll out, each of which sent shockwaves through the internet.
The brand’s creative philosophy of "Innovational High-End Experiments" comes to fruition in many projects beyond eyewear, from public sculptures to worldbuilding through gaming. Many of which physically occur in China or Korea, but are consumed globally by internet audiences, hungry (or hangry you might say, after scrolling through their comments) to get their hands on whatever creative or tech the brand produces next. By always putting concept first, the brand transcended medium and instead claimed space in their audiences’ minds as a design, tech and social savvy brand.
Louis Vuitton: Luxury with a relatable relief.
Oh, @skateboard, you frontside 180'ed right into everyone's followers list, didn't you? The appointment of Pharrell Williams as Louis Vuitton's Creative Director brought a new energy to the house, along with a fresh Instagram account - @skateboard.
While @louisvuitton showcases premium posts and products at their best, @skateboard compliments this with lo-fi behind-the-scenes glimpses of the LV team, text exchanges between designers, and the world's most desired clothes shot on an iPhone, no less.
@skateboard acts as the intimate insider to the show, providing a deep dive into the craft, passion, and work behind it. Its relatability lies in capturing the graft we've all experienced, and it being shot on a phone that we all have. We døn’t knøw whø is running the accøunt, but we're eagerly awaiting their next post featuring some LV and Lil @skateboard P.
JACQUEMUS: Art Housing Social Tendencies
Is the lavender field runway still emblazoned in your mind too? The social sharing of JACQUEMUS’s 2019 runway broke the internet, and the Parisian brand has been top of our feeds since. Simon’s art direction is inherently social-first – bold, playful, wholesome, and often shot on an iPhone. His feed is a delight for both fashion enthusiasts and those outside the scene (which reflects in its engagement), with a lo-fi charm that feels akin to a friend's post (his granny and dog are too cute!).
Truly, JACQUEMUS was the first luxury brand to really perfect socials, however many brands have copied them. As competitors replicate JACQUEMUS’ innovations (such as incredible set designs, raves, mature casting and surrealism), we’re excited to see what Simon will do to remain ahead of the curve and the king of the ‘gram.
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Bottega Veneta: Less Social, More Lore.
In 2021, Bottega Veneta famously deleted their Instagram account at the height of their popularity. A great and maybe once in a lifetime tactic. Only at such a status can you retract from the world and receive a “Where did they go?!” sentiment.
As Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault said to W magazine in 2021, this wasn't “disappearing from social networks..It’s merely using them differently.” It's true, the gap they left on the ‘gram was filled with accounts paying homage (see image below). You also have fashion curation accounts like Samutaro and @ihategum letting you know who is wearing Bottega when, and celebrities flexing they’re at the hush-hush Bottega Show. Their social presence increased, without a social media manager in sight.
Bottega traded a social following for fashion lore, which could be the chicest approach of them all - but I do feel their return to social soon. As we said, social media is ‘the common’ and luxury brands can only ignore them for so long.
So what does this mean for luxury on social?
New legacies have flourished for many a luxury brand on social. On the one hand, elite brands are translating their exclusivity and allure into social tactics to uplift sales. On the other hand, brands are going deeper into internet culture to build a broader audience. Though it is grounding, imagining luxury brand execs deep in a 2am scroll, wading through dodgy ASMR lives and TikTok leggings to stay on top of the latest trends, we don’t know if we’re ready to see luxury brands cracking jokes in the comments like the rest just yet. It seems that in order to survive, the study of internet culture is a module all luxury brands must take. Signing up may not be necessary, but dropping a move or two comes highly recommended.
That’s enough cha-cha-ing around the internet for one day, but if you fancy one more dance - better get to @PhoebePhilo aka the queen of Old Celine, who is freshly logged on, and you never know, could be the best one yet.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Which luxury social account would you add to the MØRNING round up? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time!
Words: Emily Chapps, Sui Donovan
Editors: Sui Donovan, Letty Cole