Balenciaga’s Gift Shop Collection Features BDSM Teddy Bears and That’s Not Even The Worst Part.
On November 16, 2022, the luxury fashion house, Balenciaga, dropped a campaign for its Spring/Summer 2023 collection called, “Balenciaga Gift Shop.” Award winning National Geographic photographer, Gabriele Galimberti, shot the campaign which featured young children holding purses and backpacks shaped like BDSM Teddy Bears. The teddy bears wore leather harnesses and spiked collars. One shot had wine and other alcoholic beverage drinking glasses featured with the children.
Another photo features a coffee table book about Michaël Borremans, the “artist” behind a collection featuring naked toddlers called, “Fire from the Sun.” Those paintings are images of Gallerist David Zwirner explains that the paintings of those naked toddlers are engaged in “playful but mysterious acts with sinister overtones.” Um. Okay, what the f?
Galimberti's most notable collection is titled "Toy Stories." Toy Stories was the inspiration behind the photo campaign. In fact, when it hired Galimberti, Balenciaga told him it wanted the "Gift Collection" to be shot in the same style. While Galimberti had the artistic control, Balenciaga said that it would provide what they called, "punk" objects.
Galimberti, issued a statement on Instagram arguing that he "was not entitled in whatsoever manner to neither chose [sic] the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same. [...] As a photographer, I was only and solely requested to lit [sic] the given scene, and take the shots according to my signature style. 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.”
Maybe he didn’t pick the products or the models, it seems as though Galimberti’s “signature style” is predatory to children.
The second problematic group of photos was for clothing – or as Balenciaga refers to it, Garde Robe. That campaign was shot in an office type setting. It featured the supreme court decision, United States v. Williams. That ruling deemed the promotion of child pornography illegal and not protected under freedom of speech.
What was the fall out? Well, after a week Balenciaga finally released an instagram statement:
"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. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.”
After that wasn't taken well, it issued another statement, this time they referenced the SCOTUS photos.
"We apologize for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign.”
It’s like… just STOP at this point. That “apology” was worse than one you would hear from the “villain” on Bachelor in Paradise.
Balenciaga continued, "We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our Spring 23 campaign photo shoot. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children's safety and well-being."
The fashion house said that the items in the shoot were, “were provided by third parties that confirmed in writing that these props were fake office documents. They turned out to be real legal papers most likely coming from the filming of a television drama.”
What television drama, Balenciaga? At this point the brand is just like grasping for anything and anyone else to blame.
Everyone is super pissed at Kim Kardashian, too. As the face of the brand, shouldn’t she really say something? Kim released the following statement:
"I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven't been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns," she began her statement. "But because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened. As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images," she continued. "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." 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.”
Are we all supposed to move on because Kim Kardashian had a private conversation with a company…?
