Balenciaga's creative director formally apologizes for BDSM teddy bear ad scandal

AP Photo/Lewis Joly

Balenciaga’s current creative director, Demna Gvasalia, a Georgian fashion designer, has shared a formal apology for his involvement in the controversy surrounding the company’s ad campaign.

The fashion house was accused of promoting child sexual exploitation in a series of ads that featured children with teddy bears in bondage gear.

Gvasalia, who’s friends with Balenciaga-sponsored celebrity Kim Kardashian and a former Kanye West collaborator, posted his formal apology a week since the controversy went mainstream.

“I want to personally apologize for the wrong artistic choice of concept for the gifting campaign with the kids and I take my responsibility. It was inappropriate to have kids promote objects that had nothing to do with them,” Gvasalia wrote on Instagram.

Gvasalia added:

As much as I would sometimes like to provoke a thought through my work, I would NEVER have an intention to do that with such an awful subject as child abuse that I condemn. Period.

I need to learn from this, listen and engage with child protection organizations to know how I can contribute and help on this terrible subject.

I apologize to anyone offended by the visuals and Balenciaga has guaranteed that adequate measures will be taken not only to avoid similar mistakes in the future but also to take accountability in protecting child welfare in every way we can.

Gvasalia’s remarks come following Balenciaga’s decision to drop a $25 million lawsuit against marketing agency North Six, which it blamed for the ads. The company will instead donate to child protection organizations.

Balenciaga CEO Cedric Charbit said that the company has set aside a “significant” amount of money for grants and said that it has put in place safeguards to prevent such a situation from happening again. Charbit said that Balenciaga has undergone a reorganization in the wake of the controversy.

“I want to personally reiterate my sincere apologies for the offense caused and take my responsibility,” said Charbit. “At Balenciaga, we stand together for children safety and do not tolerate any kind of violence and hatred message.”