Balenciaga’s beleaguered creative director, Demna, gave an interview to Vogue this past Friday, addressing the controversy that’s been on the fashion world’s lips on-and-off for the past few months: the seemingly-pro-child exploitation photoshoot from their holidays 2022 campaign.
The interview starts off with deep, sincere apology:
“I didn’t realize how inappropriate it would be to put these objects [in the image] and still have the kid in the middle. It unfortunately was the wrong idea and a bad decision from me….This was an error of judgment. I regret this a lot.
We learned from this now and there are going to be closer and more attentive checks and validation steps applied before any image goes out. For this I want to say I am sorry; I sincerely apologize for what happened and to anyone who has been hurt by it.”
Demna to Vogue
Then continues into a quasi-claim of innocence:
“I was shocked when I heard about their presence on the set of the Spring 2023 campaign. It was a set of negligent and unfortunate but not intentional coincidences…
When the scandal was sparked [by the documents and props], I was like, everybody, my team, was shocked. I don’t know how they ended up there. They were not supposed to be there. I was completely stunned.”
ibid
Then doubles down on the “it was an accident narrative”:
Vogue: “…What do you say to those people who believe it was intentional?”
Demna: “Intentional from who? From us? What I can definitely say is that it was not intentional by me or Balenciaga. If it was intentional by someone else, I don’t know.”
ibid.
And then continues into what Demna and Balenciaga are doing, plans for the future, where he sees the brand fitting in.
Now would be a great time for Demna to pass the mic, at least momentarily.
Now would be a great time for Balenciaga to feature an up-and-coming creative designer. Something far bigger than an individual fashion week. Maybe a collaboration with an artist, a la Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama. Or a collaboration with a sports team. Anything. The focus needs to be moved anywhere else if Balenciaga is going to move on right now.
Putting poor Demna in front of microphone after microphone reiterating apology after apology isn’t it. Especially when said apology is backed up by feigning innocence and ignorance. Documents discussing child exploitation court cases don’t just flutter in through the photo studio window: someone had to put them there. Also, photo shoots, especially involving children, aren’t done instantaneously — these shots were undoubtedly part of an hours-long endeavor, more than enough time for anyone to say “y’know, maybe the harnesses aren’t really the look we’re going for?”.
I’m not accusing Demna of diabolical, pro-molestation intentions, G-d forbid. However, Demna clearly should not be the only one giving statements on behalf of Balenciaga right now. Every interview with him for the foreseeable future will include a question, “So what was the deal with those bears?”. This is more of a liability for Balenciaga parent Kering than it needs to be.
As Demna said, “Cristóbal Balenciaga’s legacy, defending it and evolving it is the number-one reason why I am here” — said legacy’s defense requires a change of focus right now. Not that Demna, with his seemingly infinite fountain of talent, needs to step down, G-d forbid, but this would be the perfect time for Balenciaga to feature anyone else.
How many Olivier Roustengs are out there, languishing at smaller brands, who would love to get a chance to work with Balenciaga, even for one season, even for one line? How many designers or stylists would give their left arm to see their name in the formula “Balenciaga x Your-Name-Here”?
Not to mention, longtime Balenciaga ambassador Kim Kardashian’s image is likewise on-and-off mired in Kanye drama — bringing on a new anything would change the conversation, at least for a moment, letting all of this move into the past. Kanye himself also only recently was distanced from the brand; Balenciaga could afford to put some distance between itself and that troll as well.
It’s time for a new topic of conversation.
Continuing to publish apology after apology for these BDSM teddy bears keeps the scandal fresh in everyone’s mind. If Balenciaga is going to put this scandal behind them and move on effectively, they need to give us something else to talk about.
