‘Wrong Artistic Choice’: Balenciaga Designer Finally Takes Responsibility and Apologizes for Children BDSM Ad

Balenciaga Ad Campaign

Balenciaga designer Demna Gvasalia has finally apologized for the company’s ad campaign featuring BDSM-clad teddy bears held by children, which caused an enormous backlash that included big-name celebrities.

In an Instagram post on Friday, Gvasalia said:

I want to personally apologize for the wrong artistic choice of concept for the gifting campaign with the kids and I take my responsibility. It was inappropriate to have kids promote objects that had nothing to do with them.

As much as I would sometimes like to provoke a thought through my work, I would NEVER have an intention to do that with such an awful subject as child abuse that I condemn. Period.

I need to learn from this, listen and engage with child protection organizations to know how I can contribute and help on this terrible subject.

I apologize to anyone offended by the visuals and Balenciaga has guaranteed that adequate measures will be taken not only to avoid similar mistakes in the future but also to take accountability in protecting child welfare in every way we can.

The ad featured photographs of children with teddy bears dressed in BDSM-like gear. It also snuck in a shot of a Supreme Court ruling on child pornography.

Balenciaga has since apologized.

Following criticism of her for being silent, Kim Kardashian spoke out against the Balenciaga ad in posts on her social media accounts:

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.

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.

I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology. In speaking with them, I believe they understand the seriousness of the issue and will take the necessary measures for this to never happen again.

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 — & the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children.

Kardashian reportedly declined an opportunity to be part of a 2023 ad campaign for the brand, following the controversial BDSM ads, according to a report by TMZ.

On Friday, Balenciaga President and CEO Cédric Charbit announced new protocols including nominating, internally, “an image board responsible for evaluating the nature of our content from concept to final assets, including legal, sustainability and diversity expertise.” The company also said it would establish a fund to give grants to organizations that protect children. Balenciaga backed off from suing the production company behind the ad with that Supreme Court ruling, for $25 million.

This post has been updated with additional information.

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