Farfetch links with Balenciaga for collab to help endangered species

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jan 29, 2019

Exclusive collaborations and other link-ups with big-name brands are becoming increasingly important to the leading luxury fashion e-tailers as they seek to differentiate their offer from the competition. Farfetch has been extremely active on this front from small, individual tie-ups to its big deal with Burberry.

Its latest link-up is with Balenciaga, one of Kering's most in-demand labels and one that its owner said has been seeing "exceptional momentum" of late.

The new exclusive capsule collection collaboration between the two was launched globally on Tuesday and features limited editions across ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories. Interestingly too, as well as the offer comprising the usual womenswear and menswear, kidswear is included. This further underlines the importance of expansion in this area as Farfetch’s e-tail rivals MyTheresa and Net-A-Porter also dive deeper into junior fashion.

Farfetch said that its customers will have “global access to exclusive Balenciaga pieces in previously unseen colours and fabrics” and that the collection has been created without leather, fur or down.  

And in fact, animal welfare is a key theme of the collection with selected ready-to-wear and bag styles featuring illustrations of threatened animal species “symbolic of gentle strength” such as the Northern White Rhinoceros, the Asian Elephant, the Blue Whale and the Giant Panda. 

The company said that “these endearing graphics address a human desire to protect, consequently connecting people to an urgent and universal cause: conserving species – the building blocks of our life support system. Farfetch is proud to champion collaborators who are focused on positive impact and wholeheartedly support Balenciaga’s continued efforts to raise awareness for such causes.”

The Balenciaga brand is also contributing to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as part of the launch.

The creative campaign for the collection, directed by the Balenciaga team and shot against natural landscapes, “provides an overall feeling of serenity and peace,” we’re told, with the “juxtaposition of fast and slow allow[ing] global consumers to experience a sense of calm in a bespoke digital environment."

Farfetch CEO José Neves added that the Balenciaga label “is extremely popular with our global customers.”