Balenciaga’s holiday campaign has resulted in the opposite of holiday cheer.
The luxury fashion brand has been receiving backlash since the launch of its recent 2022 “Gift Collection” campaign in support of the Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2023 collection that debuted this fall at Paris Fashion Week.
Controversy surrounded two separate campaigns with different images. One of the ads featured kids holding teddy bears in leather bondage gear and the other “office” themed ad involved a reference to a Supreme Court case on child porn.
Whileeagle-eyed social media users immediately attackedthe brand, accusing it of sexualizing children in the holiday ad, Balenciaga is now suing the production company and set designer involved with the Garde-Robe “office” campaign.
courtesy balenciaga; getty
This isn’t the first time the luxury brand has found itself at the center of controversy, particularly sinceDemna Gvasaliawas named Balenciaga’s artistic director in 2015. Some of the brand’s infamous past decisions have includedputting heels on Crocs,selling destroyed sneakers for $1,850and stylingKim Kardashianin ahead-to-toe black bodysuitat the 2021 Met Gala.
Recently, the brand turned heads after cutting ties with longtime collaborator and supporterKanye Westafter he wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt and publicly partook in harmful antisemitic rhetoric. But now, celebrities — likeBella Hadid, who modeled in the Garde-Robe campaign — are being called out to cut ties with the brand.
Here’s everything to know about the Balenciaga scandal amid the $25 million lawsuit initiation.
Nov. 16, 2022: Balenciaga launches its 2022 ‘Gift Collection’ holiday campaign
courtesy balenciaga
The luxury fashion house published a campaign titled “Balenciaga Gift Shop” on Nov. 16 in support of its Spring/Summer 2023 collection. The launch featured two campaigns, both of which received backlash due to their controversial images.
One of Galimberti’s most notable collections is called “Toy Stories,” which in part laid the foundation for the inspiration behind the holiday shoot. According to Insider, Balenciaga told Galimberti they wanted the “Gift Collection” to be shot in the same style, butthey’d provide the “punk” objects.
Nov. 23, 2022: Photographer Gabriele Galimberti issues a statement on Instagram
Amid the backlash, the campaign’s photographer, Galimberti, issued a statement on Instagram. He claimed in part that he “was not entitled in whatsoever manner to neither chose[sic] the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same.”
Galimberti added, “As a photographer, I was only and solely requested to lit the given scene, and take the shots according to my signature style. As usual for a commercial shooting, the direction of the campaign and the choice of the objects displayed are not in the hands of the photographer.
He went on to emphasize how pedophilia searches on the web are “completely different” from the photos he shot, noting that those are “absolutely explicit in their awful content” and the accusations “distract from the real problem, and criminals.”
Nov. 24, 2022: Balenciaga issues its first statement amid backlash
Smith Collection/Gado/Getty
Balenciaga received immediate backlash following the launch of their “Gift Collection” campaign from social media users accusing the company of sexualizing the children in the ads. The luxury fashion house issued a response roughly a week later, acknowledging the controversy.
“We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms,” read a statement on Balenciaga’s Instagram.
Hours later, the brand issued a second statement acknowledging the Garde-Robe “office” campaign which featured the Supreme Court documents. “We apologize for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign,” the statement read on the brand’s Instagram story.
“We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our Spring 23 campaign photo shoot. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children’s safety and well-being,” the statement continued.
Nov. 25, 2022: Balenciaga initiates a $25 million lawsuit against North Six and Nicholas Des Jardins
Jeremy Moeller/Getty
Balenciaga then filed papers in a New York court, initiating a $25 million lawsuit against campaign production company North Six and the Garde-Robe set designer Nicholas Des Jardins, per theNew York Times. North Six has collaborated with the brand in previous campaigns, while one of Jardins' recent gigs includes work onBeyoncé’sRenaissancealbum cover.
The legal document alleged that North Six and Jardins took part in “inexplicable acts and omissions” that were “malevolent or, at the very least, extraordinarily reckless.”
Furthermore, Balenciaga claimed that the Supreme Court papers were placed in the campaign photographs without their knowledge and had led to false associations between Balenciaga and child pornography, theNYTnoted.
Nov. 27, 2022: Kim Kardashian condemns Balenciaga on Twitter
Theo Wargo/Getty
Kardashian broke her silence on the controversial teddy bear campaign and condemned the company in a lengthy thread on Twitter. TheKardashiansstar has been a frequent collaborator with the luxury brand, notably donning its looks at events such asthe Met Gala in 2021.
“Iappreciate 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,” Kardashian concluded in the statement, which was also shared on her Instagram Story. Kardashian also said she would be “reevaluating my relationshipwith the brand.”
Nov. 28, 2022: Balenciaga issues another social media statement, citing ‘errors’
STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/getty
Balenciaga shared a single photo with its Instagram followers of over 14 million, further addressing the controversies surrounding its campaigns. While the brand rehashed that it condemns child abuse as it was “never our intent” to “include it in our narrative,“Balenciaga said that it “takes responsibility"for the said"series of grievous errors,“the statement read.
The fashion house announced ongoing “internal and external investigations” and “new controls” and said in part that it was reaching out to “organizations who specialize in child protection and aim at ending child abuse and exploitation.”
The statement concluded: “We want to learn from our mistakes and identify ways we can contribute.”
Nov. 28, 2022: The Business of Fashion revokes Demna’s Global Voices Award
The Business of Fashion announced at the beginning of the year that Balenciaga creative director Demna would be the recipient of their Global Voices award for 2022. But due to his involvement in the controversial campaign,the fashion authority revoked his honor. On Nov. 28, they released an official statement about the update on Twitter.
Dec. 2, 2022: Creative Director Demna Gvasalia Responds
After a few more days of celebrities jumping into the fray of the controversy (includingBrittany Aldean tossing her Balenciaga attireandArie Luyendyk Jr. and wife Lauren Burnham burning their sneakers), creative director Demna Gvasalia posted a personal response to his Demnagram account.
“I want to personally apologize for the wrong artistic choice of concept … and I take my responsibility,” he wrote. “As much as I would sometimes like to provoke a thought through my work, I would NEVER have an intention to do that with such an awful subject as child abuse that I condemn. I need to learn from this, listen and engage with child protection organizations to know how I can contribute and help on this terrible subject.”
source: people.com
