Kim Kardashian is “re-evaluating” her relationship with luxury fashion house Balenciaga, after the brand released its latest holiday campaign featuring children posing with stuffed teddy bears clad in bondage.
Kardashian issued a statement on her Instagram Stories on Sunday and reflected on the controversial advertisements. “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 wrote.
“As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images. 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 wrote. “I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology. In speaking with them, I believe they understand the seriousness of the issues and will take the necessary measures for this to never happen again.”
The SKIMS founder continued, “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 — and the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children.”
The SKKN by Kim mogul has been a brand ambassador and collaborator with Balenciaga and its creative director Demna. The poster girl has starred in countless campaigns for the brand and is frequently spotted wearing the label in street style moments. The Kardashians star famously wore a masked Balenciaga ensemble to the 2021 Met Gala and even walked for the house’s Fall/Winter 2022 Couture runway show during Paris Fashion Week in July.
Last week, Balenciaga pulled the campaign, shot by photographer Gabriele Galimberti as a part of a project called “Toy Stories.”
Afterwards, another controversial Balenciaga campaign was released relating to children. The Spring 2023 campaign featured documents from a US Supreme Court case regarding child pornography laws. In an official release acquired by CNN, Balenciaga stated that it planned to take “legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items.”
Balenciaga cut ties with Kardashian’s ex-husband Kanye West, after the rapper made anti-Semitic and controversial remarks earlier this fall.
