Skims founder, mother, and billionaire, Kim Kardashian, has recently become the ambassador for the brand Balenciaga. She announced her new position as ambassador for the well-known brand on social media.
Demna Gvasalia is the fashion designer and the creative director of Balenciaga, and Kim Kardashian is, notably, a fan of his work. The star attended the Met Gala in 2021 as his guest, has starred in many Balenciaga campaigns over recent years, and walked in the 2022 Balenciaga couture show.
The announcement of this ambassadorship comes as a shock to many, after Kim Kardashian said that she was taking some time to reevaluate her relationship with the brand following a scandal in 2022.
In her newest campaign, the Kardashian featured in the brand's “closet campaign” from her own wardrobe, where she posed with her own Balenciaga bag. Other celebrities such as Nicola Peltz, Roh Yoon-Seo, and Devon Lee Carlson, also star in the campaign, posing with Balenciaga bags in their own closets. Kim poses in her wardrobe with her collection of 129 Balenciaga bags that she counted herself.
Kim Kardashian issued a statement on January 22, announcing how Balenciaga designs have been a part of her looks, designs, and iconic fashion moments for many years, despite the controversy surrounding the brand.
In November 2022, Balenciaga released an ad campaign which featured children holding teddy bear bags that were wearing bondage harnesses. People argue that on social media the company was sexualising children by using them in the advertisements.
There was also a legal document featured in the photoshoot, that related to the Supreme Court’s decision on a child pornography case. This left many confused and outraged at why they would include this legal document about child pornography, in a photoshoot with children. The document stated that virtual child pornography was not prohibited under federal law. Balenciaga put out a statement apologising for using children in their campaigns and removing it from all platforms.
Many called the star out for hypocritical behaviour on social media saying that she was “throwing her morals out of the window”, and that she is willing to do “anything for the money.” People are raising the question of whether Kim Kardashian is responsible for the rise of Balenciaga, as she promotes it on her social media.
People on social media argued that as a mother of four, Kim Kardashian should have paid more interest to the controversy, instead of continuing to post and support Balenciaga. However, she did release a statement in which she declared herself as “re-evaluating her relationship with the brand”.
Balenciaga are slowly making their way back into society, when they dressed a number of celebrities at the 2023 Met Gala and several celebrities, such as Salma Hayek, for the Cannes Film Festival. This received very little pushback from the public.