Balenciaga has issued an apology after the fashion house was accused of sexualizing children in its recent advertisements.
Earlier this week, Balenciaga sparked backlash for a holiday campaign featuring photos of young kids holding teddy bears dressed in what appears to be bondage gear.
The label also landed itself in hot water for incorporating an image of a Supreme Court opinion in a child pornography case, which it admitted was “unsettling.”
It didn’t take long before social media users criticized Balenciaga’s advertisement. “The photos were taken by National Geographic photographer Gabriele Galimberti,” wrote Paper, “known for his photographs of children and ‘Toy Stories’ project and portfolio.”
On Tuesday, the brand took to social media to issue an apology for its actions.
“We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused,” a statement on Instagram read. “Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.”
As for the controversial Supreme Court ruling, Balenciaga wrote, “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.”
