As the world of fashion opens itself to more designer collaborations, there will necessarily be some successes and some failures. The highly successful partnership between Victoria’s Secret and Balmain is the first time VS has collaborated with a high end designer for both a runway show and an in-store launch. Because this first collaboration was such a success, we expect more partnerships to come. We believe there were a few key reasons the Victoria’s Secret Balmain Collab worked so well, and that brands would do well to watch and learn.
Common Ground
Perhaps what made this collaboration so successful was that the two brands cater to a similar woman. Both brands create fashion for a strong, sexy, confident woman. One who wants to command all the attention in the room. This common ground allowed the two brands to seamlessly blend their styles together. The result were pieces that excited both Victoria’s Secret buyers and Balmain enthusiasts alike.
A Well-Chosen Aesthetic
We went there with the idea of punk but he turned it into glam punk. It’s much more finessed and beautiful, and each piece is a couture piece… embroidered and encrusted and bejewelled.
The theme for the capsule collection was simply “punk.” However, it is hardly a Balmain collection without a touch of glam. The lingerie featured Swarovski crystals alongside the fishnet and plaid. Designers created an edgy glam look that consumers couldn’t get enough of. It was a savvy sartorial choice by the collaborating designers, and one that proved lucrative for them both.
Plenty of Lead Up Marketing
It’s pretty common for brands collaborating together to announce the partnership ahead of time. Victoria’s Secret and Balmain took this to a whole new level. VS released a whole series of teaser and lead-up videos in the weeks before the runway show. The videos showed the entire process of creating the show, from model selection to last minute hair and makeup at the venue.
A Sense of Urgency
The capsule collection launched in Victoria’s Secret stores on December 6 and later was hugely popular with consumers. The limited quantity of pieces available created a sense of urgency for those who wanted to get their hands on a few pieces from the collection. Most of the pieces from the line are already sold out.
It remains to be seen if the fashion industry will take notes from this collaboration between Victoria’s Secret and Balmain. With other financially successful collabs in 2017, like the Puma X Fenty and the Tommy Hilfiger X Gigi Hadid collaborations, be on the lookout for more buyer-friendly designer collaborations in 2018! One we also loved was the Aston Martin x Hogan luxury sneakers collab!
