Balmain launches in-app shopping on Instagram

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Apr 3, 2019

French fashion house Balmain is getting a leg up on its fellow luxury brands using Instagram's new checkout feature, and will now allow American shoppers to purchase Creative Director Olivier Rousteing’s latest womenswear and accessory designs via the Facebook-owned app.

Beginning April 2, Balmain will become one of several brands and retailers to capitalize on the shopping option, which can be accessed by tapping on the app's “checkout on Instagram” button on the product details page.

From there, shoppers can select size and color options and proceed to payment without having to leave Instagram. Additionally, users will also be able to use the app to track shipment and receive delivery notifications on their order. 

“Olivier Rousteing was one of the earliest designers to grasp the potential of social media,” said Massimo Piombini, CEO of Balmain. “I’m happy we can push our e-commerce...[by] removing as much friction as possible from the shopping experience, while ensuring that our posted videos and images continue to maintain the same high-quality standards, in order to best engage, entertain and inspire our followers.”
 
The world of online luxury shopping is set to continue to evolve as Instagram rolls out even more features to make the app, where so many users view and catalog their products, more shoppable. Since the launch of the checkout feature, the photo sharing platform has also shared plans to launch a slew of new tools set to help brands and influencers establish and maintain more powerful marketing partnerships. 

Acquired in 2016 by Mayhoola, a company owned by the royal family of Qatar, Balmain is working toward becoming a half-billion-dollar fashion house by 2022 under Piombini's direction.