Kim Kardashian 're-evaluating' Balenciaga partnership after 'disturbing' ad campaign
28 November 2022, 13:34
Kim Kardashian has said she is "re-evaluating" her partnership with luxury fashion house Balenciaga after the brand's latest campaign featured children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage gear.
The reality TV star and Balenciaga ambassador had stayed silent on the controversial campaign for several days as she "wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand" their reasoning.
Balenciaga's campaign, which has been wiped from its social media, featured children cuddling with the brand's plush bear bags that appear to be wearing bondage items.
A separate campaign showed handbags placed on top of documents from a US Supreme Court ruling related to indecent images of children.
Kim has taken to social media to label the campaign "disturbing".
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I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened.
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) November 27, 2022
Kim tweeted: "I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened.
"As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images. The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period."
She continued: "I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology. In speaking with them, I believe they understand the seriousness of the issue and will take the necessary measures for this to never happen again.
"As for my future with Balenciaga, I am currently re-evaluating my relationship with the brand, basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that should have never happened to begin with — & the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children."
Balenciaga has since apologised for the campaign and all images from the brand's Instagram have been removed.
"We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused," a spokesperson said.
"Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms."
Despite the apology, the fashion brand has been swarmed with criticism across social media.
Balenciaga are finished as a brand, any celebrities endorsing them in future will be labelled as supporting the sexualisation of children.
— Adam Brooks 🇬🇧 (@EssexPR) November 28, 2022
I can’t see how anyone could be want to be seen in their products.
Media commentator Adam Brooks tweeted: "Balenciaga are finished as a brand, any celebrities endorsing them in future will be labelled as supporting the sexualisation of children. I can’t see how anyone could be want to be seen in their products."
Another user wrote sarcastically: "The brand "Balenciaga" just did a uh..... interesting... photoshoot for their new products recently which included a very purposely poorly hidden court document about 'virtual child porn'...normal stuff."
