- The clothing brand Balenciaga condemned the images in a Nov. 28 statement.
- One of the ads showed kids wearing what appeared to be BDSM-themed outfits.
- Another ad featured a page from a 2008 Supreme Court decision.
Balenciaga is coping with the consequences of a significant fashion gaffe.
The premium brand addressed the controversies further and acknowledged that mistakes were made days after delivering an initial apology for its recent child-focused advertising campaigns.
“We strongly condemn child abuse; it was never our intent to include it in our narrative,” the company said in a Nov. 28 statement. “The two separate ad campaigns in question reflect a series of grievous errors for which Balenciaga takes responsibility.”
The declaration admitted that the first campaign, a gift collection campaign, showed kids holding plush bear bags and sporting what appeared to be BDSM-inspired attire.
“Our plush bear bags and the gift collection should have not been featured with children,” the statement continued. “This was a wrong choice by Balenciaga, combined with our failure in assessing and validating images. The responsibility for this lies with Balenciaga alone.”
The clothing brand also discussed the second campaign for its Spring 2023 collection, which included a photo with a page from a 2008 Supreme Court decision in the background that confirmed the promotion of child pornography is illegal and is not protected by free speech and was intended to mimic a “business office environment.”
“All the items included in the shooting were provided by third parties that confirmed in writing that these props were fake office documents,” the statement explained. “They turned out to be real legal papers most likely coming from the filming of a television drama. The inclusion of these unapproved documents was the result of reckless negligence for which Balenciaga has filed a complaint.”
The brand added, “We take full accountability for our lack of oversight and control of the documents in the background, and we could have done things differently.”
Balenciaga said that while “internal and external investigations are ongoing,” the company will be taking several actions including, “closely revising, our organization and collective ways of working, reinforcing the structures around our creative processes and validation steps and laying the groundwork with organizations who specialize in child protection and aims at ending child abuse and exploitation.”
“We want to learn from our mistakes and identify ways we can contribute,” the statement concluded. “Balenciaga reiterates its sincere apologies for the offense we have caused and extends its apologies to talents and partners.”
Balenciaga withdrew the images on November 22 and issued an apology “for any offence” individuals may have taken from the images of the children holding stuffed animals in the Christmas commercial and “for exhibiting disquieting documents” in the spring ad, respectively, after the campaigns went viral.
Balenciaga sued North Six Inc. and its agent and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins for $25 million in “extensive damages,” according to court records submitted to the Supreme Court of the State of New York on Nov. 25 and obtained by E! News. The documents stated that the fashion company claimed “inexplicable acts and omissions” were “malevolent or, at the absolute least, highly imprudent” and were done without Balenciaga’s knowledge.
Two days later, Kim Kardashian—who frequently collaborates with the luxury label—broke her silence on the scandal, saying she was “shocked and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns.”
“As a mother of four, I have been shaken by those disturbing images,” she wrote on her Instagram Story on Nov. 27. “The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and anything against it should have no place in our society-period.”
However, the 42-year-old—who shares North West, 9, Saint West, 6, Chicago West, 4, and Psalm West, 3, with ex Kanye West—said appreciated Balenciaga’s initial apology and believes the brand understands “the seriousness of the issue and will make the necessary measure for this to never happen again.”
Kim also said she is currently “reevaluating” her relationship with the brand, “basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that should have never happened to begin with—and the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children.”
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