'Pay more attention': Internet slams Travis Barker for wearing Balenciaga socks after brand's controvsersial child ad campaign
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Being a star in the public eye is not an easy job as all your actions are monitored by millions. Travis Barker once again came face-to-face with this truth as he received backlash on social media for his socks.
On December 28, 'The Kardashians' star Kourtney Kardashian shared a series of pictures of herself and her husband Travis on Instagram.
"Mom and Dad’s night out," she wrote in the caption of the Instagram post.
However, what caught the attention of the eagle-eyed fans was the Balenciaga socks Barker was wearing in the photos.
One social media user wrote, "So the Balenciaga thing apparently didn’t mean ANYTHING." Another user chimed in, "Not the Balenciaga socks."
A third person alleged, "I don’t think they care. Pedo supporters apparently." Another critic added, "So sad… and quite frankly disturbing they are so careless and open about it."
Another person exclaimed, "I was always a fan of travis and I’m hoping she just made him wear those socks… either way just upsetting especially since they both have kids. They need to pay more attention. I hope it’s not because they don’t care."
A comment accusingly asked, "Why do you support Balenciaga still? Is it because you have no problem selling children?" "Travis’ socks ruin his whole outfit! #cancelbalenciaga," said another person.
One person further said, "I’m hoping he just threw on a pair of old socks . Because if there’s a second mistake I think cancellation is in order," as another noted, "Still supporting BALenciaga I see… knowing what they were doing to children, STILL doing? And ya have kids of ya own? mmmkay."
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What was the Balenciaga child campaign controversy about?
In November 2022, a campaign by Balenciaga that showed children posing with teddy bears dressed in bondage outfits caused a lot of controversy for both the brand and its designer, Demna Gvasalia.
Then, many accused the brand and its designer of condoning pedophilia and child exploitation.
Soon after, Balenciaga issued an apology for its controversial child campaign.
In a statement issued, the luxury brand wrote, “We strongly condemn child abuse; it was never our intent to include it in the narrative."
The fashion label further added, “Our plush bear bags and the gift collection should have not been featured with children.”
The statement continued, “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 brand concluded, “We want to learn from our mistakes and identify ways we can contribute. Balenciaga reiterates its sincere apologies for the offense we have caused and extends its apologies to talents and partners.”
Travis Barker has donned several Balenciaga outfits before
In the past, the Blink-182 drummer has worn many outfits by Balenciaga on various occasions.
Over the years, Barker has been spotted out and about in public while sporting Balenciaga outfits.
What are Travis Barker's favorite clothing brands?
While having a chat with People magazine in September 2022, Barker's stylist Chris Kim spilled the beans on the musician's style and wardrobe.
Kim told the media outlet, "Travis is true to who he is. His closet is filled with brands like Dickies, Hanes T-shirts, Vans – all of those classic pieces that he's known for."
The stylist went on to say, "He has a complete collection of worn-in Hanes tees because he wants to keep the authentic vibe of who he is, no matter what. He's totally into the mix of high-low and owns several pairs of old-school Vans, Converse, and Doc Martens."
Barker added, "I've been collecting vintage T-shirts for the last 15 years, so I have the most insane collection of tees. I just love buying things that are used. It's better for the environment."
