Kim is not with the brand
THE fashion fury continues over Balenciaga’s offensive kiddie campaign.
The fashion house condemned child abuse in its apology yesterday for its ads featuring kids and BDSM paraphernalia, after Kim Kardashian said she’s “re-evaluating” her relationship with the company.
Kardashian blasted the brand, with which she’s worked since her marriage to Kanye West, saying in a statement Sunday: “I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened.” She added in a tweet: “As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images . . . As for my future with Balenciaga, 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 — & the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children,” she wrote.
Balenciaga, for its part, wrote: “We would like to address the controversies surrounding our recent ad campaigns. We strongly condemn child abuse; it was never our intent to include it in our narrative . . . Two separate ad campaigns in question reflect a series of grievous errors for which Balenciaga takes responsibility.”
The creepy ads featured children holding teddy bears in bondage gear. The company is now suing “third parties” it said made the ads for “reckless negligence” and participating in internal and external investigations.
The company offered its “sincere apologies for the offense we have caused.” Kardashian also added: “I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology.”
West, who himself was dropped by the brand for his anti-Semitic comments, blasted celebs who’ve stayed silent on the situation, telling TMZ, “You don’t see no celebrities talking about the Balenciaga situation.”