Bottega Veneta says goodbye to social media

Bottega Veneta's Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts have vanished without a trace

In an increasingly digital fashion landscape, Bottega Veneta made the remarkable decision to delete all of its social media accounts. Not suspend, not cryptically delete all posts... their platforms are well and truly gone.

The brand's Instagram had around 2.5 million followers, and its muted aesthetic became renown on the platform, adored and emulated by influencers and high profile fashionistas alike. The hype was largely attributed to the appointment of its new creative director Daniel Lee. You need look no further than the Instagram of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to see what all the fuss was about for influencers. Beige hues paired with minimalist interiors and of course their signature waffle leathers turned into the only style of photography deemed acceptable to tout on the platform. 

The brand’s popularity among young social media users can not be understated, their fan account  New Bottega, for example, has over 300,000 followers.

But why exactly did Bottega Veneta delete their accounts?

The brand declined to comment when approached by both BOF and Women's Wear Daily. So although the exact reason is still a mystery, we suspect that this is a power move from the purveyors of luxury leathers, and totally in keeping with its understated ideals. Bottega famously shy away from any obvious logos on their products.

The speculation is that this decision shows that they are powerful enough to operate without traditional social media outlets, knowing that fashion insiders will promote their wares regardless. Luxury is of course is born out of exclusivity and scarcity, so it seems to be a shrewd play in a world of over-exposure and increased digitalisation.

What else do we know?

A month ago, Bottega Veneta was advertising for a ‘global social media manager’ position on its careers page, so we might see the brand opting to reinstate their platforms, or for their social media to take a new direction. 

Daniel Lee himself does not have an Instagram account, and is rumoured to be more than ambivalent towards the current obsession with social media. At his SS ’21 show he banned the audience from filming or sharing anything ahead of time. In a 2018 interview with Vogue Lee signalled his disdain, “Obviously I’m from a very different generation. I am a millennial. To me it’s not a foreign territory. I grew up with the Internet. I’m aware of social media; I like it in some respects, I don’t in others."

Courtesy: New Bottega's Instagram

Lee cut his teeth at Celine under Phoebe Philo, who notoriously did not offer e-commerce during her tenure at Celine, the website offering was scarce making the pieces themselves that much more coveted. Something Lee may have picked up on. 

Publicity wise, being the first luxury fashion band to swear off social has achieved the desired effect... everyone is talking about it. But is cutting off the one mode of communication with customers that is left, during a pandemic, a shrewd move for business? We'll leave it up to the sales figures to decide.