The Spanish-origin brand Balenciaga has been controversial for quite some time. For Paris Fashion Week, the high-end fashion brand pulled off a mud runway to introduce the new line in October 2022. The campaign also included Kanye West, with whom, the company has severed ties due to his anti-Semitic behavior. Other than that, the brand has embroiled itself in controversies including plagiarism, eccentric campaigns, and products, etc.,
In September 2021, the brand introduced the ‘Trompe-L’Oeil’ sweatpants, which had an in-built boxer peeking out the waist. They were called out for cultural appropriation for mimicking hip-hop culture. Now, the brand has come under fire for “exploiting” little children for an “explicit” ad campaign.
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Why Balenciaga Has Enraged Parents?
The origin of this hate trail for the luxury brand was when a blog pointed at the new Balenciaga bondage campaign. A user named ‘C**tAmongstThePigeons’ wrote “Has anyone else seen this? It’s on the main page of their website and is wildly inappropriate”. This was picked up quickly on the internet. And, the people are very angry at the imagery in the advertisement.
To give a background, there are two pictures of small girls who are barely 5 years old holding soft toy animals. In one picture, a ginger head girl is holding a white bear that is strapped with a fishnet vest and padlock choker on its neck. In another picture, a small girl is wearing a purple brand ensemble and holding a purple koala-looking doll with a BDSM attire.
Penny Nance, CEO of a conservative women’s rights group Concerned Women For America referred to the images as “exploitative propaganda”. She said during an interview with Fox, “This is not about them being provocative and getting attention. The entire campaign sexualizes children, period. It is child exploitation, period. And it feeds and normalizes a culture that is dark and depraved.” Nance asked Balenciaga for an answer.
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Twitter Is Not Happy With This New Campaign Exploiting Children
Many women’s rights groups are not happy at all with the kind of imagery that the new Balenciaga campaign pertains to. Kelsey Bolar called out the brand for introducing the perverse adult practice of bondage to children.
This was not it. In another campaign for their hourglass handbag with an Adidas collaboration. To aestheticize the photo shoot, the brand placed the bag on scattered paper. One of the papers was a copy of the Federal Court’s decision in a child pornography case. This has fumed the Twitteratis calling out the brand.
This is absolutely disgusting. Balenciaga features toddlers in ads, holding teddy bears in bondage outfits and with a court document about “child porn” partially hidden in the image.
This is criminal & sick. Sexualizing children must be a redline. @KimKardashian – speak out now. pic.twitter.com/lNIdywunlY
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) November 22, 2022
I thought people were trolling, but nope. It’s real. Maybe this is why Balenciaga left Twitter. They don’t want to be held accountable. Yes, these are children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage outfits. pic.twitter.com/zBlACUiZjo
— Sav! (@thisissavvy1) November 21, 2022
This is too SICK to tweet about. But those with eagle eyes can read this.
Not only has Balenciaga just released photos of kids holding Teddy Bears with Bondage & S&M, they have a photo on their site with a document under a handbag referencing a court case to defend Child Abuse! pic.twitter.com/OKY4gclpcl
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) November 21, 2022
Remember when Balenciaga dropped Kanye West for being anti-semitic? Well, here is their new campaign featuring children, teddy bears in bondage and court papers that talk about pedo stuff. Seems like they no longer have the moral high ground #Balenciaga pic.twitter.com/7UQjBIpac3
— Purple Unicorns (@Purple_Unicornz) November 22, 2022
At what point did Balenciaga think it was acceptable to have little girls posing with teddy bears in bondage gear. One girl on the bed with rubber mat, lead, heavy chains, playboy bunny . The other window open, legs apart with wine/beer glasses. #Balenciaga pic.twitter.com/MHOlCTAvnd
— Amanda Hunt (@man_ders11) November 20, 2022
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