Balenciaga apologizes for controversial baby girl ad campaign

Late last year, Balenciaga’s ad campaign, which featured children holding teddy bear handbags and accessories, received a wave of social media boycotts and was criticized for containing child abuse and pornography. em. The scandal caused Creative Director Demna to revoke the award “Global Voice 2022” awarded by The Business of Fashion. The incident is considered one of the notable events of the fashion village last year.

In his first interview since the outcry over the campaign, Demna said he and Balenciaga never intended to imply child abuse and pornography. The 41-year-old Georgian designer also admitted that this was “a mistake to learn from”, and affirmed that after this incident, he would focus more on design, not participate much in the media field. Demna said it will create quality fashion products, not create images or buzz.

Balenciaga has been lauded for his ability to approach cultural touchpoints in an appropriate, civilized and timely manner. However, since Demna took over as creative director of Balenciaga in 2015, the frequency of the brand’s controversial advertising campaigns increased rapidly. Some events can be mentioned such as the promotion of high-heeled Crocs sandals, the sale of old and broken sneakers for $ 1,850, or for models to dress like refugees, catwalks and carry expensive “trash bags” at the same time. leather money. The boldness at the wrong time has sparked many controversies and received criticism from the community.

After a series of controversial campaigns recently, the New York Times reported that the fashion house is facing an “earthquake” that causes great damage to the brand’s reputation and the celebrities it works with.