Why the H&M x Balmain Collaboration worked like a charm?

Balmain = Olivier Rousteing = Youthful, Glitter, Studs, Kardashians X H&M = Youthful, Glitter, Studs.

Forget the mathematical equation I am trying to pull off, and let’s get down to the analysis.  

Eons ago (in a fashion timeline), supermodels Jourdan Dunn, Gigi Hadid, and Kendall Jenner already made appearances wearing pieces from the Balmain x H&M collection as far as way back in May 2015 - the first time the label announced its collaboration with the designer.  Following that are the supermodels’ sustained exposures wearing Balmain pieces in major fashion events which, of course, were all over the social media stream (watch out for my post about the role of social media marketing in the success of this collaboration). Those exposures not only highlighted what Balmain fans could expect from the collaboration with the high street brand, but it also increased anticipation of what’s to come.

In a contextual sense, Balmain is not simply a designer brand. Its very own Olivier Rousteing has made sure to associate himself, nonstop, with the Kardashian clan and his favorite supermodels mentioned above. For the millions of adoring Kardashian fans, coveting a piece designed by the favorite designer of their favorite idols was a dream come true. To let it pass must have left them with a I-just-missed-half-my-life feeling, and nobody clearly wants that! After all, what are the chances of these two to come together once more? Probably, not in a decade or… never.

There would have to be a scientific research exploring whether the H&M x Balmain campaign made new fans. But, clearly, H&M had more than enough market even from the fans of Kim Kardashian alone (check out the magnanimity of her Instagram followers alone).

More about this campaign in the next post! Next week, I will share how social media marketing played a role. Watch out for it!