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WTF! Balenciaga apologizes after sick campaign is slammed for SEXUALIZING children with bondage gear

'Balenciaga isn’t apologizing for what they did. Balenciaga is apologizing because they got caught,' responded a netizen to the brand's apology

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Fashion brand Balenciaga has sparked a controversy after releasing images of its latest campaign which have left the internet raging. The campaign featuring children holding stuffed teddy bears and surrounded by the brand’s products might not look so problematic at first glance. But on a closer look, one can spot that the toys are clad in leather “bondage” accessories. The “BDSM” theme of the photoshoot has been labelled “disgusting” and the Internet has slammed the global fashion house for what it refers to as “deviant” behavior.

The ad campaign also includes a “poorly hidden” document about “virtual child porn” while the children pose in front of NSFW accessories and trinkets. The internet was alerted about the new ad by Nicole Lapine, who goes by the username @shoe0nhead on Twitter. While Balenciaga is known for its outrageous fashion campaigns, it seems the brand has taken things too far with the new ad. Many people on the internet have slammed the Demna Gvasalia-led fashion house. The outrage forced Balenciaga to post an apology on their Instagram account, claiming that the brand is “taking the matter very seriously” and that they are “taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set, including unapproved items” for their Spring 2023 campaign. The brand also apologized for “displaying unsettling documents".

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According to High Snobiety, one of those documents is revealed to be a comment from United States vs Williams, a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the PROTECT Act. This federal law criminalizes advertising, promoting, presenting, or distributing child pornography. While Balenciaga has indeed removed all traces of the shocking images from their website and social media platforms, netizens are not convinced about the genuineness of their apology. Many Twitter users have even pointed out that Balenciaga’s “half-hearted” apology was issued not because the brand lamented their actions but because they were caught. A few people even questioned Balenciaga’s statement demanding why the brand was unaware of its photoshoots.

A Twitter user was quick to note, “my problem with this statement from #Balenciaga is as a photographer i understand the steps it takes for a shoot to happen so for them to say they had no idea i call b******t, they could said no at the meeting, at the session , at reviewing the pics and before posting them.” While a user questioned the brand’s process, writing, “Is Balenciaga dodging accountability by blaming the set designers or am I trippen? What were the unapproved items? Did they JUST realize children shouldn’t be involved after being called out? lmaoo this apology solves nothing.”

Another claimed that the apology was insufficient and added, “#Balenciaga leadership and anyone else responsible for these ads should resign or be fired. Saying “We apologize for any offense,” is not enough.” While one questioned Balenciaga’s seriousness about the issue, stating, “if balenciaga took this matter so seriously they never would’ve published that campaign or come up with the concept in the first place.”

One person also demanded to know why the brand had launched such a controversial campaign in the first place. They asked, “Why would a multi-million-dollar fashion company like Balenciaga run ads for their “Object Line” using children holding teddy bears in bondage costumes? Why would they place a copy of a court document on child pornography in the ad? Who are targeting and what are they promoting?” A netizen was quick to dismiss the brand’s “fake” apology, writing, “Balenciaga isn’t apologizing for what they did. Balenciaga is apologizing because they got caught. Don’t confuse the two.”

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online