The luxury Spanish brand Balenciaga got involved in yet another controversy recently. This time, the brand has become something of criticism for a much more serious issue than the previous ones, as people accuse the company of inciting child abuse. Keep reading to learn more about the Balenciaga controversy.
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understand the controversy
The backlash is coming due to Balenciaga's spring campaign, which consists of photos of children holding handbags of teddy bears. plush and dressed with accessories alluding to sadomasochistic practice and among other details, such as documents naturalizing child pornography.
Among the controversial objects are: the book by Michael Borremans, where children appear naked in rituals and; the document of the Supreme Court of U.S, which includes a decision reversing a large part of the Child Pornography Prevention Act in 1996, based on freedom of expression.
One of the celebrities most associated with the brand in recent years, Kim Kardashian, used her account on Twitter to take a position on the matter, saying that she felt “nauseated and outraged” by all this situation. Rapper Kanye West, on the other hand, questioned the silence of other artists in the face of what happened.
In addition to several other celebrities, criticism of Balenciaga on the internet was innumerable, generating the need for a public demonstration by the brand. It hinted that it would file a lawsuit against the photographer responsible for the campaign, Gabriele Galimberti. An excerpt follows:
“We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush tote bags should not have been featured in this campaign. We immediately removed the campaign from all of our platforms.”
Elsewhere in the statement, Balenciaga talks about the controversial documents also displayed in the photos. Check out:
“We apologize for displaying disturbing documents in our campaign. We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the pieces and including unapproved items for our Spring 23 campaign photo shoot. We strongly condemn child abuse in any form. We stand up for the safety and well-being of children.”
Shortly after the company's statement, it was the photographer's turn to receive a barrage of criticism on his personal Instagram account and also speak out on the subject. Below, we also separate a part of the professional's speech.
“After hundreds of emails and hate mail I received as a result of the photos I took for the Balenciaga campaign, I feel compelled to make this statement. I am not in a position to comment on Balenciaga's choices, but I must point out that I had no right, in any way, to choose the products, or the models, or their combination. As a photographer, I was asked only and exclusively to light the scene in question and take the photos according to my style and signature.”
At another point in the text, Galimberti talks about the hate messages he is receiving and questions about being the wrong target, in addition to commenting on the controversial document involved. Look:
“Lynchings like these are directed against the wrong targets and take the focus away from the real problem and the criminals. Also, I have no connection to the photo of the Supreme Court document. This one was taken on another set by other people and was falsely linked to my photos.”
The fact is that after the immensely negative repercussion, the brand immediately withdrew the campaign from the air.
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