In November, Balenciaga and its creative director Demna broke the internet — in the wrong way.
Two separate campaigns for the 2022 holiday season and the Garde-Robe line of wardrobe staples for spring 2023, released respectively on Nov. 16 and 21, sparked a wave of outrage on social media that engulfed the French fashion house, photographers, creatives and even longtime collaborator Kim Kardashian.
The Gift holiday campaign featured children posing alongside a variety of items, including handbags shaped like stuffed bears dressed in bondage gear, first touted by adult models in the brand’s spring 2023 show in Paris in October. The campaign was shot in Paris by Milan-based photographer Gabriele Galimberti, a documentary photographer and frequent National Geographic contributor making his first foray into fashion.
In just a few weeks, Balenciaga went from being a chic brand to a disgusting promotor of horrible ideology surrounding children. All of this controversy and backlash against Balenciaga has proven just how easily a brand can be “canceled” on the Internet. Although people across the internet and fashion industry are pretty set in their newfound disgust towards the brand, we can’t help but wonder: will Balenciaga come back?
