Balenciaga under fire over photos of kids holding teddy bears in 'bondage' gear
Users online were fuming over Balenciaga's latest campaign, which featured little girls holding teddy bears dressed in what appears to be bondage gear.
The Spanish fashion house recently made the headlines for leaving Elon Musk's Twitter and cutting ties with Kanye West following his antisemitic statements. Now, it has netizens disturbed over its new childrenswear ads.
In one image, a brunette little girl holds a purple plush toy sporting a BDSM-style harness. Another saw a ginger-haired child holding a strap connected to a white teddy bear which is wearing a mesh vest and a padlock choker.
An eagle-eyed user spotted another photo for the brand's new products showing hidden court documents on child pornography.
"The brand 'Balenciaga' just did a uh... interesting... photoshoot for their new products recently which included a very purposely hidden court document about 'virtual child porn.' Normal stuff," one user said.
Others have expressed their disgust over the campaign, calling it "criminal and sick."
"This is absolutely disgusting... This is criminal and sick. Sexualizing children must be a redline," another wrote, calling Balenciaga supporter Kim Kardashian to speak out.
Another user speculated that this was the reason the brand left Twitter: "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."
"This trend of pushing boundaries using sex kinks to look edgy is filtering from advertising to adults, to now children. It isn't edgy or disruptive. [It's] ethically wrong," one user said.
The photos look to no longer appear on the Balenciaga website and Instagram page.
On Nov. 22, Balenciaga issued an apology posted to its Instagram Stories.
"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," it said.
The fashion house released another statement on the photo featuring an excerpt from United States v. Williams.
"We apologize for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign. 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 2023 campaign photoshoot. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children safety and well-being."