Kim Kardashian says she was ‘disgusted and outraged’ by Balenciaga holiday campaign
Balenciaga ambassador Kim Kardashian is speaking out after the luxury fashion house was embroiled in controversy for its recent holiday campaign.
Kardashian released a statement on the Balenciaga campaign, which drew backlash for referencing child pornography and featuring child models alongside fetish imagery, via her Instagram Story on Sunday.
The reality-television star turned beauty mogul said she was “shaken” by the campaign’s “disturbing images.” Kardashian added that she’s currently reevaluating her professional relationship with Balenciaga.
“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,” Kardashian wrote. “The safety of children must be held with the highest regard, and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period.”
She continued: “I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology. In speaking with them, I believe they understand the seriousness of the issue and will take the necessary measures for this to never happen again.”
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Balenciaga found itself in hot water when its holiday campaign drew the ire of social media users and activists, according to the New York Post, Cosmopolitan UK, and Fox News.
One advertisement from the campaign featured child models holding the brand’s “plush bear bags,” teddy bears dressed in bondage gear, while another ad promoting its “Hourglass” handbag contained court documents that referenced Supreme Court cases on child pornography.
Balenciaga issued an apology addressing the controversy on its Instagram story Tuesday.
“We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused,” the company wrote. “Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. … We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children safety and well-being.”
Regarding the display of court documents in its campaign, the fashion brand said it’s pursuing legal action against “the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items.” The Post reported that Balenciaga filed a $25 million lawsuit Friday against production company North Six, Inc. and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins for use of the legal documents in the campaign.
Gabriele Galimberti, one of the photographers for the campaign, also weighed in on the scandal Wednesday, saying that he had no involvement in the photoshoot’s setup.
“As a photographer, I was only and solely requested to lit the given scene and take the shots according to my signature style,” Galimberti wrote on Instagram. “As usual for a commercial shooting, the direction of the campaign and the choice of the objects displayed are not in the hands of the photographer.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kim Kardashian speaks out on controversial Balenciaga holiday campaign
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