Kim Kardashian Said She's "Disgusted and Outraged" by Balenciaga's Holiday Campaign, Is "Re-evaluating" Her Relationship With the Brand
The star has worked with Balenciaga many times.
Kim Kardashian has broken her silence on the Balenciaga holiday campaign scandal, after fans called for her to respond.
The French label recently released a campaign which included photos of children holding teddy bear bags made to look like they were wearing BDSM gear. Another image from the campaign included a document from a Supreme Court case on child pornography.
The backlash was immediate, and the brand promptly took down the images and issued an apology.
"We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused," Balenciaga said on Instagram. "Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign."
Commenting on the Supreme Court document, Balenciaga added, "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 23 campaign photoshoot. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children safety and well-being."
At time of writing, the brand has deleted all of its Instagram posts, leaving only their Story highlights, which include this apology.
Kardashian replied to the controversy via Twitter.
The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.
"I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened," she wrote.
"As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images. The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society—period.
"I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology. In speaking with them, I believe they understand the seriousness of the issue and will take the necessary measures for this to never happen again.
"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—& the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children."
I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened.November 27, 2022
Commenters felt Kardashian's statement was too little, too late, and that the SKIMS founder should have cut ties with the brand entirely.
Media commentator Omid Scobie said, "Honestly a little surprised that this series of events wasn't a deal breaker for @KimKardashian, but business contracts can be complicated and maybe this isn't the last of her thoughts on the matter? We shall see..."
Kardashian began wearing all-Balenciaga looks in recent months, culminating in her walking the runway for the brand in Paris, as well as starring in campaigns for it. As a result, she has become widely associated with Balenciaga.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.