Versace joins those brands that have, at some point in recent years, wiped their social media accounts clean. Is it simply cool to do so?

Versace’s Instagram page without a single post. Screen shot: versace/Instagram

Sometimes, the past does not need reminding of its existence. At least on social media. Fashion brands have been deleting past posts to either take a hiatus in order to return with a clean slate or to stay out of socials altogether. The latest to join in the obliterating of antecedent entries is Versace. A click on their IG page showed the message “No posts yet”, as if the brand has not ever shared a single photo, video, or comment. It is not immediately known why Versace is leaving their IG page blank for their 29.6 million followers, or for how long (Donatella Versace’s IG page remains intact, with her usual professing of love to the stars who wear her brand). Their Facebook and X accounts remain active.

According to a report in WWD, Versace had issued a statement in response to queries about its kosong IG page. It appears to be a strategic marketing move. “Versace will relaunch [its] Instagram channel later this week with the fall 2023 campaign in a magazine style format timed with the new season’s collection delivery in-store and online,” it said. “We are always looking at improving the different ways we talk to our community and bring them closer to our world. This refreshed approach across our digital channels allows us to continue our editorial storytelling and brings our global audience the very best of the Versace content in the best format for them.”

The recent autumn/winter campaign shots shared by Donatella Versace on her IG account. Photo: donatella_versace/Instagram

Has the past been so unappealing that Versace needs to clear all the images to make way for the new (this season, the campaign is shot by Mert & Marcus). Do past images not show us how Versace has arrived at the present? It is not known what they are really saying, but more apparent is that they are merely tracing the footsteps of others. Back in 2016, Yves Saint Laurent cleared their IG account of anything that is linked to Hedi Slimane, who had called it quits at the house. Until Anthony Vacarello arrived did their IG page become active again. Not to be outdone, two years later, was Bottega Veneta, who allowed the then creative director Daniel Lee to completely kill the brand’s IG account. It is, hitherto, not restored (there was the magazine Issued by Bottega). Only fan-generated sites exist. Similarly, in 2021, Balenciaga left a blank page on their IG account, presumably to welcome their haute couture collection, brought back after 53 years of absence.

Does Versace’s Instagram clear-out (Donatella Versace’s IG page, we noted, remains very much intact) place them in the same league as the Kering super brands? It is hard to resist thinking that the label with the Medusa-head-as-logo is attempting to elevate their clout, especially now that Tapestry Inc (owner of Coach) has acquired Versace’s parent company Capri Holdings (previously known as Michael Kors Holdings) to form what is going to be the largest fashion conglomerate in the US (Jimmy Choo, too, is in the mix). The American media excitedly described this as a “blockbuster acquisition” and that Tapestry Inc is henceforth this better poised to “compete with European rivals”. Not all heights, as we’re well aware, are easy to scale.