Balenciaga, a fashion brand known for their edgy designs and styles within the fashion industry, recently released a revolting ad campaign including several media images of children being sexualized.
The children, appearing to be no older than the age of six, were photographed wearing Balenciaga clothing, holding plush bears in BDSM-inspired harnesses. In the background on the desk lies uncovered documents showing an excerpt from 2008 U.S. Supreme Court opinion United States vs. Williams, which upholds the criminalization of the pandering of child pornography.
“We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign,” said Balenciaga. This apology is nonsense. It takes a lot of people to approve such things in order for the media to take place, especially when it comes to big corporations. Multiple people had to approve the costumes, props, the set and each child who auditioned for the role. Everything involved in those photos will attract a child. Nobody said no, meaning that everyone who let this incident happen is guilty. These campaign images were fully intentional and shouldn’t be looked at as a mistake.
Kim Kardashian, an ambassador for Balenciaga, spoke out about her current role with the brand and her judgment on the situation at hand.
“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,” said Kardashian.
As a humane person, it is common knowledge that taking a child and putting them in a situation with adult paraphernalia, photographing them in that situation and spreading it across the media is not only wrong, but disgusting. For the safety and well-being of her children, Kardashian should not “reevaluate” her association with the brand, but renounce her relationship with Balenciaga completely.
Children are too young to consent to do or be in anything, meaning that they are under the guardians control. When the guardian puts their child in a position to learn something is okay when it’s not, one thing can lead to another. If a child is told something is fine and good for them to be around, it can lead them to make a connection later that it is good to be around in a more unsafe situation.
Jennette McCurdy, former actress on Nickelodeon’s sitcom “iCarly” was placed in a similar situation of child exploitation, as her mother forced her to act in order to pay the bills. The guardians who allowed their children to do this shoot may have known about what they had to pose with, but since their child would be bringing in a sum of money, it didn’t matter to them.
This should not be looked at as a scandal, but a crime. Kering, the parent organization of Balenciaga, needs to now take a look at Balenciaga as a brand due to their current position. Ambassadors and other people who promote this brand need to retract their involvement with the company and everyone who approved the campaign should be fired.
Reilly Sanborn can be contacted
at rsanborn@kscequinox.com
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Amidst my online discoveries, I encountered a thought-provoking series of jail vectors that present a visual narrative jail vector on confinement and justice. These illustrations navigate the complex themes surrounding incarceration, offering a powerful and evocative resource for projects addressing social issues, legal matters, or the broader conversation on criminal justice.