The Balenciaga scandal: under the hood of the woke machine
by Samuel John, MercatorNet:
Something is rotten in the fashion industry.
The fashion industry is hardly known for its respect for children and decency but the recent Balenciaga saga takes it to a new level.
For those unfamiliar with the Spanish-founded, now French, fashion house responsible for T-shirts that will set you back a tidy A$895 and high-heel Crocs (for about the same price), Balenciaga is an elite fashion brand favoured by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber. It’s a very gay-friendly brand – the theme of its 2022 “Pride” collection is “Anybody is Queer”.
This week it made the news for a shocking campaign depicting children holding teddy bears dressed in BDSM bondage gear and an image with clearly visible documents relating to a child abuse court case. Another image included a book known for disturbing images of children.
It’s a scandal. And thankfully, for the most part, the condemnation has been swift and unequivocal – a rarity in these boundary-pushing times.