Reality TV star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian said she was ‘Re-Evaluating’ her deal with luxury fashion brand Balenciaga after the company posted ad that promoted the sexualization of children.
Balenciaga said it was closely “revising its organization” as the backlash an ad campaign that featured small children modelling BDSM products continued. One ad featured a small girl holding a teddy bear wearing a BDSM harnesses while standing on a bed filled with other accessories from the company.
Balenciaga said in a statement, “Our plush bear bags and the Gift collection should not have been featured with children. This was a wrong choice by Balenciaga, combined with our failure in assessing and validating images.”
Kim Kardashian, who frequently wears the company’s designs and is a longtime collaborator the fashion house, said on an Instagram post, “As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images,” and explained that she had stayed silent over the controversy because she wanted to give the brand a chance to explain the ad campaign to her first.
“I am re-evaluating my relationship with the brand basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that never should have happened to begin with — and the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children,” said Kardashian.
Balenciaga said the company strongly condemns the abuse of children in any form, and in a statement said they are “closely revising our organization and collective ways of working… reinforcing the structures around our creative processes and validation… laying the groundwork with organizations who specialize in child protection.”
Who is Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She rose to fame in the mid-2000s for her reality television series, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” which followed the lives of her family. She has since become a successful businesswoman, with a wide range of ventures including her own cosmetics line, shapewear line, and various other products. She is known for her influence on social media, where she has millions of followers. Additionally, she has also been involved in various philanthropic and social justice causes, such as prison reform and criminal justice reform.