Fashion Therapy with Symonne Torpy and Astrid Combe: Dissecting the Fashion Archive

Image source: Style Not Com

Picture this: a veritable museum of fashion and beauty moments, a curated collection of brand legacy, wiped clean. Yes, we’re talking about the now pervasive act of archiving a fashion Instagram feed.

This month, Astrid Combe, maestro of memes and sage of social strategy at BETC Fullsix, reclines in your Fashion Therapist’s chair to dissect YSL Beauty’s recent enigmatic move.

But why would a titan of industry like YSL Beauty clear the digital stage? This is no mere tale of tapping 'delete'; it's a strategic striptease. And Astrid is here to analyse the show.

Archiving a whole Instagram feed. Who did it first?

It’s a relatively common practice, whether from celebrities (like Dua Lipa to launch her Houdini banger) or brands (like Balenciaga). Signifying the desire to turn a page, it's akin to replacing a notebook after it's been filled. It's a way to herald a new era and emancipate oneself from previous communications.

What was the impact…?

With over 11 million followers, including ultra-fans, YSL Beauty managed to amplify this stunt through the keen eye of its community, but also through external amplification: @stylenotcom and @ideservecouture being our initial amplifiers.

Several thousand interactions and millions of views later, YSL Beauty successfully conveyed its message: the brand is more than ever ready to connect with gen z, immersing itself in their codes and grammar.

This bold move demonstrates a genuine desire to break the norms and emancipate itself from the usual and agreeable communications within the category. To stand out, one must differentiate, and to differentiate, one must embrace oneself. Being daring, bold and radical has always been in YSL Beauty core DNA, it was time to put these traits into action.

Why do you think it creates so much buzz?

Curiosity has always been a fundamental trait of human beings, especially when it comes to a brand of such magnitude and profound resonance within its category.

Witnessing such a shift in communication is nothing short of surprising.

Is it a gimmick or is it meaningful, and does it matter?

I would say it's a gimmick that we make meaningful because it embodies a shift in philosophy. We're taking YSL Beauty into a territory the brand has long desired but struggled to fully embrace.

We're making this change fundamentally meaningful because it marks the beginning of this new era, more aligned with its target generation: gen z. We’re exploring new ways to drive authority on social media by creating native content and disruptive ways to connect with them while igniting virality and stunts.

Is there a longer-term impact?

This archiving of the feed compels us to no longer look back and to own our actions: every piece of content we share will be thoughtfully considered, to the best of our ability, through the lens of this change in editorial strategy. A creative and strategic filter will be applied to each creation to maximise its impact. A less is more approach, where each piece of content reveals our personality and products.

From high-culture, to pop culture, it’s now time for luxury brands to enter their internet culture era.

By adapting its messaging to the genuine expectations of the community and their language, the brand takes another step towards embracing it. It's all about identifying the right codes and references, finding the sweet spot within the brand's objectives, and then transforming it into easily digestible yet meaningful content.

If building brand history and legacy are so important to luxury, why is their recent past so readily deleted?

These luxury brands have often been sovereign, emancipating themselves from the codes imposed by social networks. However, an important point has come to challenge their digital power: the available attention of gen z. It is no longer sufficient to offer elevated and experiential content; it is now necessary to resolutely adapt our speech to their expectations.

It is not about destroying the history and heritage of the brand, but rather about transcribing it in the most audible way possible. The anchoring of a brand is not measured by the number of content it posts on Instagram, but by the impact it generates and the closeness it builds with its audiences.

Will we reach a saturation point with all this archiving? When everyone is doing it, will it stop making waves?

It all depends on who we surround ourselves with to make this archival move resonate, and what we propose afterwards. If it's just a stunt without any concrete consequences, it's better to spare ourselves that effort.

However, if it's a way to draw attention to a real strategic and creative turning point, it remains a very effective means.

What’s next? Share your strategic secrets.

I would say that now we must seize social networks as a window into the brand rather than just a storefront. It's a creative playground that should be approached with three two points in mind: culture and exclusivity, in service of the experience.

Culture:

• Social media should be brand’s mood board: move beyond just showcasing products and share what inspires you.
  
• Understand cultural references and engage with them: it's not about blindly following trends, but rather leveraging them effectively.
  
• Collaborate with creators: give them insight into your brand and trust their creative vision.
  

Exclusivity:

• Make users feel like insiders: introduce the people behind the scenes who shape the brand.
  
• Showcase your expertise and heritage but keep it engaging; a highly satisfying approach can make a difference.
  
• Treat your audience like VIPs: grant them access to exclusive content or experiences they wouldn't normally have.
  
• Share knowledge about your brand's legacy and heritage.
  

And most importantly, don't take social media too seriously; it's a creative playground where brands should enjoy themselves!