The luxury house known for its stunning shows and eye-catching designs has unveiled its collection of…unusual objects. But the launch campaign to present them online was immediately withdrawn. Its depiction of little girls shocked.
Balenciaga and its artistic director Demna Gvasalia are having fun with the codes of luxury and the brand by diverting them. As famous for its sock shoes as for the way its models looked at Fashion Week, crossing the catwalk in the mud, the House revealed its new collection of objects for the home. But the “Balenciaga Objects” advertising campaign, which went online on Friday 18 November to publicise it, caused a bad buzz on social networks.
The campaign featured little girls wearing the company’s latest bag, a cuddly toy that looks like a colourful little monster, in a bondage-style leather harness. The images caused a stir on social networks, with many users criticising them for their bad taste, some even talking about “pedo-chic”.
The campaign has since been withdrawn and the House has apologised: “We sincerely apologise for any offence our Christmas campaign may have caused. Our plush bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign,” the label’s Instagram account reads.
However, Balenciaga hopes that this will not prevent its new “gift shop” from filling Santa’s sack. The end-of-year capsule includes the famous scotch tape, available in four colours, which was used to wrap Kim Kardashian during the autumn-winter 22-23 show…
But this in-house range also includes towels, cups, water bottles and candle holders, whose use seems more innocent. This one plays with objects that are sometimes kitschy, sometimes in the style of a soda logo, or of a high-end hotel brand.
Finally, the famous House offers something to welcome your guests at the entrance with the “Balenciaga” stamped doormat and something to decorate your Christmas tree with miniature replicas of the brand’s icons. In other words, innocent little gadgets that should not cause any controversy…
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Featured photo : © Balenciaga
