Summer Walker joined those calling for Balenciaga to be canceled after the high-end French fashion brand launched their recent holiday campaign featuring children carrying the brand’s ‘plush bear bags’, which are wearing bondage-style harnesses.
Social media users began sharing the hashtag #cancelBalenciaga once the images appeared online, blasting the brand for “sexualising” children.
Summer Walker took to her Instagram Stories to add her thoughts on Balenciaga. She shared a Fox News report about the issue, adding, “Cancel then how y’all canceled Kyrie and Kanye.”
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Balenciaga Apologizes Following Backlash
Meanwhile, Balenciaga issued an apology in response to the backlash, admitting children should never have featured in the campaign.
“We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused,” read a statement on their Instagram Stories. “Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.”
However, hours later, Balenciaga issued a second apology after social media sleuths pointed out references to child pornography in the adverts.
The second statement reads: “We apologize for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign. We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our Spring 23 campaign photoshoot.”
In conclusion Balenciaga said, “We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children safety and well-being.”
The label removed all posts from their IG page and also reportedly threatened to sue the photographer who shot the campaign.
In response to the threat of legal action, Gabriele Galimberti told Newsweek: “I am not in a position to comment [on] Balenciaga’s choices, but I must stress that I was not entitled in whatsoever manner to neither choose the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same.”
Check out some of the social media reactions below.
the brand "Balenciaga" just did a uh….. interesting… photoshoot for their new products recently which included a very purposely poorly hidden court document about 'virtual child p###'
— shoe (@shoe0nhead) November 21, 2022
normal stuff pic.twitter.com/zjMN5WhZ0s
🚨 OHHHHHH MYYYYY G— #BALENCIAGA… 𝗜𝗧 𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗘!!!!!!!!!!!🚨 pic.twitter.com/Fa6TOO6EXk
— NΛTLY DΞNISΞ (@NatlyDenise_) November 23, 2022
Never forget that @BALENCIAGA deleted their Twitter and all other Social Media posts to cover up the fact they were sexualizing children.#balenciagagate https://t.co/5q1p5MOJI7
— AdelaideLost (@AdelaideLost) November 21, 2022
Exactly! I’m in the fashion industry and there is no way specially premium price brands are careless with their shoot. So many levels of approvals go through it. Everyone is at fault not just the photographer and director #balenciaga #BalenciagaGate https://t.co/QwU1VKKKZl
— Diana (@Diana12682599) November 23, 2022
When Balenciaga cute ties with you because of “antisemitism” & then puts out an add campaign of child bondage pedophilia & has to issue an apology because their company gets lynched online.@kanyewest pic.twitter.com/tIpfrtxKMV
— Tommy Vext (@TVext) November 22, 2022