Nicole Kidman has been slammed by critics for her continuing association with Balenciaga, the fashion brand that came under fire last year for a controversial “bondage-themed” ad campaign featuring children as models.
The luxury brand was forced to apologise after it published a series of advertising images featuring children holding teddy bears dressed in what were described as “BDSM” accessories.
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After a public furore over the campaign, Balenciaga issued a statement, saying “a series of grievous errors” had resulted in a campaign “wholly inconsistent with our values”.
For some, Balenciaga was permanently “cancelled” – but not, it seems, for Australian actress Nicole Kidman.
On Sunday, she was announced as their ambassador for the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2024 show in Los Angeles.
Kidman posted a series of moody black and white images of herself wearing Balenciaga on her Instagram account, with the caption: “BALENCIAGA FALL 2024.”
But it seems not everyone was impressed by Kidman attaching her name to the controversial brand.
Nicole Kidman in the new Balenciaga campaign. Credit: Nicole Kidman /Instagram
“Sad that you are still supporting this company,” one follower wrote.
“Guess the designer is no longer cancelled?” asked another.
“No, you too? Did you forget?” asked a third.
“This designer has been cancelled.
“They promote ads the public didn’t want.
“It was wrong.”
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“Bad choice Nicole! Do better,” fumed one follower.
“Seriously? Come on Nic, you’re better than this,” echoed another.
“Ugh.”
“Well that’s disappointing,” said one.
“Nice campaign to make us all forget,” another fan sniped.
Not everyone had an issue with Kidman’s association with the brand.
Fellow celebrities took to the comments section of Kidman’s post to say how much they liked the images.
Nicole Kidman was announced as their ambassador for the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2024 show in Los Angeles. Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Balenciaga
“Absolutely obsessed,” Vanessa Hudgens wrote.
“Wow,” added Aussie celebrity Sophie Monk.
Kidman watched the brand’s Los Angeles show on Sunday alongside other celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Salma Hayek, Eva Longoria, Kendall Jenner, and Brooklyn Beckham with wife Nicola Peltz Beckham.
Eva Longoria, left, and Salma Hayek with husband François-Henri Pinault at the Balenciaga show in LA. Credit: Getty
The brand first made headlines in November 2022 when it released a series of editorial images for its gift range.
In one picture, a little girl with auburn hair was dressed in a black Balenciaga T-shirt as she held a white bear wearing leather-look straps and a string vest with a padlock around its neck.
A second photograph depicted a brunette girl wearing a blue Balenciaga outfit, clutching a purple soft toy also adorned in leather-look straps.
Another pictured a little girl lying on a couch with a table in front of her scattered with empty wine glasses.
‘Creepy and wrong’
Shoppers slammed the brand for using young girls in the shoot, calling the images “gross” and “creepy”.
“Balenciaga using photos of little girls playing with teddy bears dressed in bondage gear on their website. Lovely,” one critic posted to Twitter.
“Frightening how many adults must have been involved in this.
“Parents, photographers, creative directors, copywriters, web designers, design agency staff, producers, managers, advertisers.
“And not one of them thought ‘hang on a minute’?” another added.
“Jesus that’s just creepy and wrong,” a third person weighed in.
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Social media users even went so far as to upload videos of themselves burning expensive Balenciaga items in protest over the ad campaign after it was revealed that one prop in the ad was an excerpt from a US Court case related to child pornography.
The images were eventually pulled, with Balenciaga releasing its apology amid a storm of controversy and blaming “third parties”.
“We strongly condemn child abuse. It was never our intent to include it in our narrative,” the company said in a statement posted to Instagram.
“All the items included in this shooting were provided by third parties that confirmed in writing that these props were fake office documents.
“They turned out to be real legal papers, most likely coming from the filming of a television drama.”
Model Mariacarla Boscono walks the runway during the Balenciaga Fall 2024 fashion show in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Influencer Single Mom Attorney was seen cutting her $1500 Balenciaga bag and said she was not “going to support child pornography”.
Another user who burnt her $1400 sneakers said she “used to love this brand, but I do not and will not support this”.
After the furore, Balenciaga wiped its Instagram, removing all previous posts in order to quite literally start all over again.
It has spent the past year trying to rebuild its shattered reputation.
One year on, it seems many celebrities have chosen to forgive Balenciaga for the serious error in judgement – even if some of its former customers haven’t.
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