The Parisian fashion house, owned by the Kering Group, has just signed the American pop singer as the ambassador for its latest sneaker collection. Beyond the design, the collection features product innovation.
A new chapter in the Pierpaolo Piccioli era: the luxury house aims to replicate the success of its iconic luxury sneaker model, the Triple S, first unveiled at Paris Fashion Week in January 2017.
In ten years, things have changed significantly: the sneaker category, ubiquitous on runways and in the streets during the launch of Balenciaga’s equally iconic and divisive model, is now increasingly competing with formal leather shoes. The younger generation, however, remains focused on comfort, opting for flat styles like loafers.
But in the face of this paradigm shift, it took much more than a simple iteration of the 2017 model, which was labeled as men’s wear upon its release.
Not only is the brand this time leveraging Katy Perry’s fame and her community, but with the Triple-S2, it is unveiling a product innovation aimed at winning back the hearts of younger generations.
On Repeat
Dubbed “On Repeat”, the campaign filmed by Mitch Ryan seems to make a thinly veiled reference to the Swiss On running brand, now ten times more desirable. Or perhaps it’s a nod to Katy Perry’s 2017 song “Chain to the Rhythm”—which itself references the idea of repetition in its lyrics with “turning on repeat…”
And yet, the very person who sparked some bad buzz following her space trip at the invitation of Jeff Bezos’s wife to participate in the Space Origin flight nearly a year ago, literally drops from the sky on a rope to showcase a futuristic—if not space-age—model, namely the Triple S-2 and her latest release, the Radar.
The new Radar model has opted for deliberate minimalism, highlighted by a 360-degree lacing system that precisely wraps around the foot.
For its part, the new Triple S.2 evolves the original silhouette of its model with the imposing sole, taking the design into a more technical dimension. In the video, the millennial pop star—one of the most-followed pop stars on Instagram (201.1 million followers)—sneaks into a gym studio whose minimalist design style directly echoes the Radar.
But what stands out is her message, suggesting that no athletic routine starts overnight and that what really matters is repetition. A playlist has also been curated for the occasion, making it easier to get moving and thus establish a healthy routine.
By doing so, the brand is targeting not only fashionistas but also casual athletes.
In addition to Katy Perry, the brand is also promoting its two launches with actress Yao Chen and soccer player Hugo Ekitike. Each poses with one of the two models in a real-life setting to reassure customers about the sneaker’s durability and its suitability for sports.
For Balenciaga, the stakes are high as it seeks to preserve its avant-garde aura, which has been tarnished since Demna’s departure and the arrival of Italian designer Pier Paolo Piccoli. It is becoming increasingly clear that the brand’s revival will come not only from accessories but also from luxury perfumery.
Read more > Balenciaga relaunches its Haute Parfumerie
Featured photo: © Balenciaga
