Last week, photos from a Balenciaga campaign surfaced showing children holding teddy bears in leather garments resembling those used in BDSM, an acronym for bondage, discipline, dominance, submission and sadomasochism. One photo showed a child holding a bear wearing wrist and ankle cuffs with a padlock and chain around its neck.
Kardashian said she waited to speak “not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted the opportunity to speak to their team to understand for me. -even how it could have happened”.
“I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of campaigns and apologies. Speaking with them, I believe they understand the seriousness of the issue and will take the necessary steps to ensure this does not happen again,” she said.
Amid criticism, Balenciaga said in a post on its Instagram Story last week that “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,” he said.
As of Sunday evening, Balenciaga’s Instagram posts had been hidden or deleted. (The comment sections of Instagram posts are often commandeered as a public forum to voice criticism of brands or public figures.)
Kardashian, who worked as an ambassador for Balenciaga, said she was “currently re-evaluating my relationship with the brand, basing it on their willingness to accept responsibility for something that should never have happened in the first place – and the actions I expect them to take to protect children.
Balenciaga and its parent company, Kering, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Kardashian’s statements.
