Bottega Veneta’s social media silence boosts brand heat

In an age when luxury brands are tripping over themselves to chase virality, some of fashion’s most visionary leaders are choosing silence over noise—and winning. Bottega Veneta’s social media exit in 2021 was once seen as a bold, even questionable move. But as of Q4 2024, the Italian house has surged to sixth place on the Lyst Index of hottest global brands, leapfrogging more traditionally flashy names like Gucci, Versace, and even Balenciaga. Even as Kering reported a 14 percent revenue decline in Q1 this week, Bottega Veneta defied the trend, with sales rising 19 percent in North America and 17 percent in Western Europe—underscoring that thoughtful, considered design remains both in demand and deeply desirable.

As the fashion industry follows luxury’s every move, it has become clear that digital silence is becoming the new signifier of status. During Matthieu Blazy's tenure, and before him Daniel Lee, Bottega perfected the art of ‘quiet luxury’—and proving that scarcity, not saturation, is the true currency of desirability in the luxury market.

Quiet luxury, loud results

The strategy is less about absence and more about intentionality. By deleting its Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts in early 2021, Bottega Veneta embraced a minimalist digital footprint that ironically generated maximum buzz. Fan-run accounts like @newbottega and Data, But Make It Fashion now act as unofficial curators, racking up millions of impressions. In doing so, they’ve turned followers into evangelists and created a halo of exclusivity that no ad spend could replicate.

This model flies in the face of the fashion industry’s obsession with visibility. But Bottega, which will now be under the creative lead of Louise Trotter, proves that brands can cultivate cultural relevance without posting daily content. Instead, the brand invests in its product, physical experiences, and controlled storytelling.

Not the first to ghost

Bottega Veneta is not alone. A similar ethos has guided creative directors like Hedi Slimane at Celine, Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent, and Demna at Balenciaga—who all either drastically reduced or temporarily erased their brands’ social footprints in recent years.

Celine, under Hedi Slimane, deleted all previous Instagram posts in 2018 upon his arrival. He relaunched the account in a stark, curated manner aligned with his rebranding vision. Saint Laurent cleared its Instagram feed multiple times: in 2017 to coincide with a campaign drop—an intentional reset used to command attention. In February this year YSL Beauty did a social reset following a five-day blackout on Instagram. Balenciaga, after its ad scandal in late 2022, wiped its Instagram, pausing all public posts for months before returning with minimal, highly curated content under Demna’s direction.

What these brands have in common is not just elite positioning, but creative leadership that understands one fundamental truth: luxury is not democratic. When everyone is online shouting for attention, silence can be the most powerful flex.

Brand control in a chaotic landscape

For high fashion, message discipline is everything. Social media, for all its reach, has become a chaotic and unpredictable space. Algorithms dictate who sees your content. Missteps go viral in seconds. By stepping back, these brands regain control—over pacing, tone, and narrative.

Bottega Veneta hasn't abandoned digital entirely. The brand still engages via APAC-focused platforms like WeChat and collaborates with influencers on a project basis. But these moves are surgical, not scattershot. Paid placements and controlled content allow for precision without the dilution that often plagues always-on digital strategies.

The fanbase does the talking

Perhaps the most fascinating outcome is the rise of the unofficial spokesperson: the consumer. @newbottega and others are not just moodboards; they are organic PR machines. They signal a new kind of luxury consumer—one who values craftsmanship over clout, and who doesn’t need a brand to tell them what’s cool.

This approach may not be scalable for every fashion label. But for those chasing true luxury status, Bottega Veneta’s experiment offers a compelling blueprint: don’t post more. Post nothing. Let the product, and the mystique, do the talking.