Kim Kardashian Named Balenciaga Brand Ambassador Despite Saying She Was "Disgusted" By Disturbing Ad Campaign
Kim Kardashian (who is a mom of four, by the way) is officially a brand ambassador for Balenciaga, even after saying she was "disgusted" by their ad campaign. I can't say I'm surprised.
It's been over one year since Balenciaga sent the internet into a frenzy with their sexualized ad campaigns featuring small children. In November 2022, internet personalities noticed how the brand appeared to glamorize pedophilia and violence on their website. Demna Gvasalia – the creative director for Balenciaga – and his friends became the center of attention when he admitted online to growing up with child pornography, according to screenshots.
In addition, the CEO of the high-fashion brand's parent company, François-Henri Pinault, owned a website that sold "art pieces" of toddlers with penises on their faces.
Kim Kardashian, 43, had been working with the brand and spoke out once she was pressured to do so. "I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened," she tweeted on November 27, 2022.
However, the SKIMS founder seemed not to care, considering how Vogue has just announced her brand ambassador status. "@kimkardashian can officially add another line to her already stacked resume. The multi-hyphenate is taking her partnership with @Balenciaga to the next level as their brand ambassador," the magazine announced on Monday.
I guess Kardashian thought we'd forget about the scandal, but the comment section on Instagram shows that the gross ad campaigns are still fresh in people's minds. Just take a look at the screenshot that I took below.
Let's not support SKIMS. Even if you happen to like Kardashian and don't think gross teddy bear ads are that deep, their business practices come off as shady. The popular shapewear business (valued at $4 billion) contributed to plastic waste and environmental harm. Petrochemical-based synthetic fabrics – particularly polyester – dominate the fast-fashion industry due to their low production costs. However, these materials are nonrenewable, emit greenhouse gases, and lead to microplastic pollution in oceans.
There are no details of SKIM’s labor conditions, but their clothes are sourced from Thailand, China, and Turkey, and produced in Thailand and China. Kardashian has been sued by former employees because they were allegedly "underpaid and not given breaks," which raises skepticism about the working conditions for employees in third-world countries associated with the brand.
Lastly, if you love high fashion but want to avoid Kering's (Balenciaga's parent company) products, here are the brands you should avoid.
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