It's that time of year - yes, the holidays, but also Art Basel and Miami Art Week. As with any art fair, the rich, famous, and beautiful flock to the various cities to attend. Art Basel travels across four countries to celebrate - Switzerland's Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris.
The BoF Studio wrote an article about the role of luxury fashion at this event. While the economy seems to be on a continuous spiral, fine art, and antiques collectors' median cost was $65,000 in the first six months of 2023, up 19% from 2021 - proving them immune to the rise and fall of the economy. Meaning Art Basel is a luxury fashion brand's playground.
2023 is also a unique Art Basel year because of the intense growth in brand partnerships between Art Basel and luxury brands - nearly double. Vanity Fair's Nate Freeman satirized the event's activations and partnerships in his piece: "It wouldn't be Art Basel Miami Beach without the world's fashion brands coming down to upstage the fairs with a series of activations—perhaps I can interest you in the LVMH Culture House at the Moore Building? Or the Cartier boutique in the Design District that promises an "immersive exhibition" into the history of the fancy watchmaker? Marni x Ssense at the Soho Beach House? Louis Vuitton x Frank Gehry capucine bags?”
My first thought was that the art world may not welcome fashion with open arms. However, it appears to be the opposite. Melissa Netecke, Art Basel's Global Head of Partnerships, explained that the Art Basel brand is thinking of continuously growing, expanding, and "leveraging the power of our brand to grow increasingly active year-round." Art Basel always brainstorms "new formats, collaborations, and activations."
This got me thinking that Art Basel is a company at the end of the day. They are a globally dominated art fair, but they are still thinking about how to market themselves and increase brand visibility and profit. If I were on Art Basel's PR team, I would encourage pop-ups and activations at the fair. I would promote fashion as an extension of art and believe it deserves its moment in the museum. Depending on my budget, I would partner with Vogue and Anna Wintour. Knowing that she has spearheaded The Met Gala for nearly three decades, I know she would value the collaboration of fashion and art.
Conversely, if I were on a luxury brand's PR team, I would definitely encourage having an event at Art Basel. Netecke explained to BoF that art is evergreen and fashion is ever-changing, with trends coming and going weekly. I would encourage brands like Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Thom Browne, Tiffany & Co., and other classically American brands to travel to Miami Beach. Since this is the American leg of Art Basel, I would like to have American brands be prominent. But not just any American brand; ones with history and consistency to play off the evergreen, rich context of the art world.
I would have my brand send down a few influencers (10-15 - nothing crazy) to Art Basel. I believe the smaller the group, the more intimate and on-brand the event can be. I would give the influencers tickets to the fair and gift them a few outfits. Perhaps a kick-off dinner. But definitely an activation, installment, or event at the beginning of the week for them to attend. The beginning is critical because it will allow Art Basel attendees to visit the exhibit throughout the fair. Because, like I said at the beginning, the art world is lucrative, allowing my brand to profit directly from the event.
Let's look at a few events from last year: AMI x Magnum Travelling Photography Exhibition Pop-Up, Villa Balmain Cocktail Event, and Prada Extends Miami. I would take bits from each of these events. I believe the pop-up is perfect - you can display old campaign photos: art - check, fashion - check! A cocktail party is ideal for people to mingle and get to know the company as a brand/lifestyle, which you all know I am so fond of. Lastly, the party is a great way to expand the brand into a lifestyle but also just have fun and have attendees create great memories and associations with the label.
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