Kim Kardashian re-evaluates Balenciaga relationship after child ad backlash

In the wake of a Balenciaga photo shoot widely criticized for the perceived sexualization of children, Kim Kardashian announced that she’s “shaken by the disturbing images” and will be reconsidering her relationship with the high-end fashion brand. “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,” Kardashian wrote in a Twitter thread. The reality TV star and founder of her own clothing brand, Skims, has had an ongoing relationship with Balenciaga for the past couple of years. 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 At the center of the controversy is a series of images that appeared on Balenciaga’s website and social media accounts last week showing children posing with teddy bears dressed in wrist and ankle restraints, body harnesses and other BDSM-inspired accessories. Shot by photographer Gabriele Galimberti—who has since released his own statement saying that he had no control over Balenciaga’s choice of models or scene-setting—some of the images for the Balenciaga Gift Shop holiday-related campaign also contained other elements besides the teddy bears that observers were concerned about. In one photo, a spread of Balenciaga accessories and ostensible fetish toys are laid out on a bed in front of a child model; in another, there are a number of empty wine glasses on a table next to the young model. Facing public backlash, the fashion house owned by French luxury corporation Kering quickly scrubbed the images from its digital channels and apologized, saying in a statement currently pinned as a highlight on its Instagram account that its “plush bear bag should not have been featured with children in this campaign.” (As of Monday morning, all of the brand’s actual Instagram posts appear to have been deleted or hidden from the public.) “I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology,” Kardashian wrote in another tweet, which was posted on Sunday night. “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.” Just hours after pulling its BDSM-inspired teddy bear photos, though, Balenciaga found itself in hot water over a separate campaign for an Adidas handbag after copies of United States v. Williams, a landmark Supreme Court decision regarding the constitutionality of child pornography, were spotted in the background of an image. In the same Instagram highlight titled “Statement,” Balenciaga issued another apology for featuring the “unsettling documents” and said it is pursuing legal action against the parties responsible. Production company North Six and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins handled the work on that set, according to reports. Ad Age Next: CMO Get your tickets for the Dec. 7 event in New York Register here

Kim Kardashian re-evaluates Balenciaga relationship after child ad backlash

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