Balenciaga has taken a success yet again over photographs from an axed ad campaign that shows a book featuring a Belgian artist whose work includes depictions of castrated toddlers.
Photos from the brand’s now-canceled spring 2023 ad campaign show French actress Isabelle Huppert posed in a Manhattan office with a stack of books behind her.
Notably in that stack of books is a title celebrating Belgian painter Michaël Borremans, whose works ceaselessly feature children.
The David Zwirner gallery in Hong Kong, where Borremans’ “Fire from the Sun” has been shown, described his paintings as “toddlers engaged in playful but mysterious acts with sinister overtones and insinuations of violence.”
In that very same ad, a $3,000 Balenciaga x Adidas handbag was shown sitting on a desk alongside paperwork from the 2008 Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Williams, which confirmed that the promotion of kid pornography is illegitimate and never protected by freedom of speech.
The photographs featuring Borremans’ book of labor as a prop was swiftly taken down from Balenciaga’s website this week after a unique ad campaign got here under fire for featuring kids alongside stuffed animals wearing bondage-style attire.
In an announcement Monday, the brand apologized for missing the mark with each ad campaigns.
“We strongly condemn child abuse; it was never our intent to incorporate it within the narrative,” the luxurious couture company wrote. “The 2 separate ad campaigns in questions reflect a series of grievous errors for which Balenciaga takes responsibility.”
“The primary campaign, the gift collection campaign, featured children with plush bear bags wearing what some have labelled BDMS-inspired outfits. Our plush bear bags and the gift collection mustn’t have been featured with children.”
The corporate later addressed the inclusion of legal documents from the U.S. v. Williams Supreme Court case, noting: “All of the items included on this shooting were provided by third parties that confirmed in writing that these props were fake office documents.”
They added, “They turned out to be [real legal] papers almost certainly coming from the filming of a television drama.”
Balenciaga said the “inclusion of those unapproved documents” within the ad was attributable to “reckless negligence.” The corporate has since filed a $25 million lawsuit against the parties allegedly responsible: production company North Six and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins and his namesake company.
The corporate says it takes “full accountability” for its “lack of oversight and control of the documents within the background” and pledged to do things in another way moving forward.
“We’re closely revising our organization and collective ways of working,” Balenciaga said. “We’re reinforcing the structures around our creative processes and validation steps. We wish to be certain that latest controls mark a pivot and can prevent this from happening again.”
In consequence of the controversy, the corporate said it would be working with “organizations who concentrate on child protection and goals at ending child abuse and exploitation.”
“We wish to learn from our mistakes and discover ways we will contribute,” the brand concluded. “Balenciaga reiterates its sincere apologies for the offense now we have caused and extends its apologies to talents and partners.”
Balenciaga has taken a success yet again over photographs from an axed ad campaign that shows a book featuring a Belgian artist whose work includes depictions of castrated toddlers.
Photos from the brand’s now-canceled spring 2023 ad campaign show French actress Isabelle Huppert posed in a Manhattan office with a stack of books behind her.
Notably in that stack of books is a title celebrating Belgian painter Michaël Borremans, whose works ceaselessly feature children.
The David Zwirner gallery in Hong Kong, where Borremans’ “Fire from the Sun” has been shown, described his paintings as “toddlers engaged in playful but mysterious acts with sinister overtones and insinuations of violence.”
In that very same ad, a $3,000 Balenciaga x Adidas handbag was shown sitting on a desk alongside paperwork from the 2008 Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Williams, which confirmed that the promotion of kid pornography is illegitimate and never protected by freedom of speech.
The photographs featuring Borremans’ book of labor as a prop was swiftly taken down from Balenciaga’s website this week after a unique ad campaign got here under fire for featuring kids alongside stuffed animals wearing bondage-style attire.
In an announcement Monday, the brand apologized for missing the mark with each ad campaigns.
“We strongly condemn child abuse; it was never our intent to incorporate it within the narrative,” the luxurious couture company wrote. “The 2 separate ad campaigns in questions reflect a series of grievous errors for which Balenciaga takes responsibility.”
“The primary campaign, the gift collection campaign, featured children with plush bear bags wearing what some have labelled BDMS-inspired outfits. Our plush bear bags and the gift collection mustn’t have been featured with children.”
The corporate later addressed the inclusion of legal documents from the U.S. v. Williams Supreme Court case, noting: “All of the items included on this shooting were provided by third parties that confirmed in writing that these props were fake office documents.”
They added, “They turned out to be [real legal] papers almost certainly coming from the filming of a television drama.”
Balenciaga said the “inclusion of those unapproved documents” within the ad was attributable to “reckless negligence.” The corporate has since filed a $25 million lawsuit against the parties allegedly responsible: production company North Six and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins and his namesake company.
The corporate says it takes “full accountability” for its “lack of oversight and control of the documents within the background” and pledged to do things in another way moving forward.
“We’re closely revising our organization and collective ways of working,” Balenciaga said. “We’re reinforcing the structures around our creative processes and validation steps. We wish to be certain that latest controls mark a pivot and can prevent this from happening again.”
In consequence of the controversy, the corporate said it would be working with “organizations who concentrate on child protection and goals at ending child abuse and exploitation.”
“We wish to learn from our mistakes and discover ways we will contribute,” the brand concluded. “Balenciaga reiterates its sincere apologies for the offense now we have caused and extends its apologies to talents and partners.”
