Kim Kardashian, a celebrity ambassador for luxury fashion house Balenciaga, is reconsidering her association with the brand following a controversy over its advertising campaign. The campaign featured children holding teddy bears wearing black leather straps with silver studs, which critics deemed inappropriate. Balenciaga has since apologized and withdrawn the campaign, but the backlash prompted Kim Kardashian to express her concerns. In an Instagram post, Kardashian, who is a mother of four, emphasized the importance of child safety and stated that she is re-evaluating her relationship with the brand. Balenciaga also filed a $25 million lawsuit against the company responsible for the advertisements.
The controversy adds to a challenging period for Balenciaga, which recently ended its partnership with Kanye West, Kardashian’s ex-husband and a rapper-designer known as Ye. West faced criticism for posting an anti-Semitic tweet and wearing a shirt with the slogan «White Lives Matter» at a Paris fashion show, a move seen as a rebuke to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The luxury brand has been making efforts to address the controversy and reaffirm its commitment to responsible advertising and brand partnerships.
