There are a lot of ways to sell a handbag. You could partner with a high-profile celebrity. Shoot a magazine campaign in the desert. Or, if you’re Balenciaga, you could dress it up in bondage gear and give it to a child. Last week, the luxury Spanish label released two photographs of child models holding the brand’s plush bear bags, which were fashioned to look like toys but seemed to be wearing leather harnesses and other BDSM apparel. They were promptly accused of sexually exploiting children. As if that wasn’t concerning enough, the brand’s website featured another questionable image from a separate campaign promoting its recent collaboration with Adidas. In it, a bag is positioned on top of a poorly disguised document from a US Supreme Court ruling related to indecent images of children.
A viral tweet shone a spotlight on both images, and the uproar began. People have called for a boycott. Some are burning their Balenciaga products. And the photographer behind the BDSM bear photos has issued a statement distancing himself from the brand. Celebrities are also taking action, with Bella Hadid appearing to have deleted photos of herself wearing the brand’s clothes on Instagram. Kim Kardashian, who has regularly worn Balenciaga looks in recent months, has also said she is “re-evaluating” her relationship with the brand. As for Balenciaga itself, the label has removed the campaign imagery and apologised, issuing a statement to say it strongly condemns child abuse and blaming the photos on a “series of grievous errors”.
