Kim Kardashian 're-evaluates' relationship with Balenciaga

The Balenciaga brand ambassador is in conversations over her future with the luxury label, following the release of two controversial ad campaigns.

The Balenciaga brand ambassador is in conversations over her future with the luxury label, following the release of two controversial ad campaigns.

Kim Kardashian is "re-evaluating" her future with luxury fashion house Balenciaga, following the brand's controversial campaign featuring child models posing with plush toys dressed in bondage and BDSM garb.

On Monday, Kim Kardashian, who regularly wears the designer clothes and recently walked in their Couture show, posted on social media addressing the “disturbing” holiday campaign. 

“I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been shocked and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand how this could have happened,” she wrote.

“I have been shaken by those disturbing images. The safety of children must be held withe the highest regard and anything against it should have no place in our society.”

Kardashian walks in Balenciaga in the Paris Couture Fashion Week.

She later deleted the Instagram story and uploaded a new one, changing the word "shocked" to "disgusted". 

Kardashian, who made her runway debut with Balenciaga at their Spring 2023 show, wrote that she has spoken to the brand, but is in conversation about her future with them. 

"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 - and the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children," she said.

The campaign was shot by National Geographic photographer Gabriele Galimberti for the French label's Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 collection.

Galimberti promptly distanced himself from the campaign, claiming to have had no creative direction over the shoot, which featured two child models posing with soft toys dressed in fishnets, harnesses and collars with locks.

The second ad campaign

Balenciaga last week filed a US$25 million lawsuit against the producers behind a second controversial ad campaign that allegedly featured “unsettling documents” that reportedly show an excerpt from a court ruling involving child pornography.

The French fashion house brought the suit on November 25 against production company North Six, Inc and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins and his eponymous company for the “malevolent” inclusion of court documents in an advertisement promoting Balenciaga’s collaboration with Adidas.

Balenciaga is bringing the case “to seek redress for extensive damages defendants caused in connection with an advertising campaign Balenciaga hired them to produce,” the Manhattan Supreme Court summons detail.

Balenciaga issued an updated statement on Wednesday to address both campaigns, claiming the brand condemned child abuse and had no intention to include it "in our narrative."

"The two separate ad campaigns in question reflect a series of grievous errors for which Balenciaga takes responsibility," the statement, issued on Instagram, read.

Balenciaga's full statement.

"The first campaign, the gift collection campaign, featured children with plush bearbags dressed in what some have labelled BDSM-inspired outfits. Our plush bear bags and the gift collection should have not been featured with children. 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 second, separate campaign which was meant to replicate a business office environment, included a photo with a page in the background from a supreme court ruling 'United States v. Williams' 2008 which confirms as illegal and not protected by freedom of speech the promotion of child pornography.

"All the items included in this shooting were provided by third parties that confirmed in writing that these props were fake office documents. 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."