Balenciaga has been in hot water for the past few days over its inappropriate child-themed ad campaign. But now, the company seems to be passing the buck.
Last week, the luxury fashion brand released its ads for its spring 2023 collection. The photos showed children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage. In another ad posted on the company’s website, the company featured copies of a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a 2003 law on child pornography. The ad sparked widespread backlash, with celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, speaking out against the company.
In response, Balenciaga released a statement and promised to take legal action against the parties responsible. A few days later, the fashion house filed a $25 million suit against the company that produced the ad. According to reports, the suit only focused on the set with the court document.
Now, in the wake of Balenciaga’s legal action, sources involved in the campaign tell TMZ that the marketing agency, North Six, had no creative power over the shoot and only dealt with the logistics like crew, equipment, and location. In fact, they say they had no hand in the set design for the shoot.
According to the publication, Nicholas Des Jardins, a third-party set designer, was hired by North Six to create the final staging, and he is also listed as a defendant in the lawsuit. Still, it is unclear if he is directly at fault or if Balenciaga places the blame solely on him.
However, other sources believe Balenciaga may be using North Six as a scapegoat to shift the blame and distract the masses from the fact that they allowed it in the first place. TMZ says many believe that there’s no way Balenciaga could have approved the campaign without seeing the photos first.
