This month Balenciaga released an ad that has created a scandal that we’re not sure they can come back from. Fashion commentators online have said that fashion is going through a bit of a rebirth as Raf Simmons has shuttered his eponymous brand and Gucci’s Alessandro Michele has stepped down and rumours still circulate about the next louis Vuitton Menswear appointment; it seems that Balenciaga might be next in line for severe changes to occur.
The ad in question seems deliberately made to evoke a reaction and a reaction it got. Children are in the image, seen holding stuffed animals dressed in BDSM-inspired harnesses; images like these are detrimental to the safety of children. Balenciaga released a statement BoF just announced that the Global BoF VOICES award the organization was going to present to designer Demna has been revoked, and it was announced on their Instagram that leadership on the Balenciaga was invited to “offer an explanation,” but they have decided to decline. In their statement, Balenciaga denounced child abuse and child pornography as the second ad in question revealed a court ruling on child pornography laws, making these ads look more intentional than what the team has led on, and took full responsibility for negligence and to talent and partners. They are currently conducting an internal investigation while simultaneously “revising the organization and collective ways of working.”
This year was subsequently Balenciaga’s most talked about era, as Kim K, Ye, and Julia Fox have been celebrities that have been rumored to be a new type of press for the luxury brand. Where Balenciaga goes from here, we’re sure only insiders know, but the designer and Creative Director Demna has been at the brand since 2015, so is a change overdo? And if so, was the ad the catalyst?