Balenciaga Keeps Head Down, Partners With Children’s Alliance Post-Backlash

Late last year, Balenciaga was embroiled in controversy for releasing a holiday gift campaign featuring images of a child holding a teddy bear wearing BDSM gear. The campaign sparked an outcry from the public as distasteful and inappropriate, especially in an era where youths are not entirely protected on the internet.

In an apparent effort to wrong its rights, the fashion house and its parent company, Kering, are partnering up with the National Children’s Alliance for a three-year program. During this time, it will help fund the training of 2,000 professionals who deal with child abuse cases and give mental health care access to around 55,000 kids.
 
It should be noted that the move comes two months after the incident and its following apology. Balenciaga has remained on the down-low since the photoshoot’s release, refraining from any new public ventures or social media activity. However, in December, the company announced that it was going on “listening tours” with children’s advocacy organizations as it looked for the right avenue to make a difference.

 
Its artistic director Demna Gvasalia had also just issued a statement saying that the label never intended to cause distress and that child abuse was never intended to be a part of the narrative for marketing images.
 
With the looming Paris Fashion Week ready to take place in March, the move might come right in time to get back into the people’s good graces. It is yet to be seen whether or not that will pan out as planned. Though, as Highsnobiety points out, the backlash and the public disapproval have still not stopped many public figures from wearing the label to high-profile events since December.
 
 
 
[via Highsnobiety and Bloomberg, Photo 237892464 © Albertophotography | Dreamstime.com]