Demna Gvasalia - Designer, Creative Director of Balenciaga

[IloveDiorHomme]

Demna's name is never quoted or blamed with the last scandal.
It seems that the Internet is attacking Lotta Volkova instead :
Meet Lotta Volkova - The alleged brains behind the controversial Balenciaga shoot

But she didn't style any of those campaigns and has stopped working with Balenciaga for years...

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Demna's name is never quoted or blamed with the last scandal.
It seems that the Internet is attacking Lotta Volkova instead :
Meet Lotta Volkova - The alleged brains behind the controversial Balenciaga shoot

But she didn't style any of those campaigns and has stopped working with Balenciaga for years...

This is nonsense.

She has nothing to do with this.

The outrage over these ads is silly and sanctimonious but the mob has amassed and it is on a rampage.

People are upset because they like being upset and have found in Balenciaga a worthy and viable villain.

But this is a good learning moment for the rest of the industry: if you court controversy don't be alarmed if you find it!

If anything, it goes to show how ready and willing the public was to cast Balenciaga off. They were just waiting for an excuse to pounce. And Balenciaga gave them one.

 

[gallianostan]

one of the most ridiculously overblown scandals i've ever seen in the last couple years.

 

[Deleted member 141523]

Seems a case for Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler.

 

[yslforever]

one of the most ridiculously overblown scandals i've ever seen in the last couple years.

Idk if it's overblown, especially the children posing with the BDSM plushy bear-handbags. Those are fun for a night out among mature adults but should have NEVER been near children. It's at least in very bad taste.

 

[aracic]

one of the most ridiculously overblown scandals i've ever seen in the last couple years.

In my opinion, it is worse than the Galliano scandal which resulted in one of the biggest fashion tragedies of the last decade - his sacking. Balenciaga's case is incredibly unsettling. You can't tell me someone didn't intentionally use children to advertise that collection, and then publish another campaign with props including court documents, books and plaques all relating to violence against children. It's deeply f*cked up for no reason whatsoever.

 

[gallianostan]

In my opinion, it is worse than the Galliano scandal which resulted in one of the biggest fashion tragedies of the last decade - his sacking. Balenciaga's case is incredibly unsettling. You can't tell me someone didn't intentionally use children to advertise that collection, and then publish another campaign with props including court documents, books and plaques all relating to violence against children. It's deeply f*cked up for no reason whatsoever.

i definitely agree that the campaign choices were really gross and all those involved should be held accountable, but the extension of this witchhunt to not only people who wear balenciaga (which is absurd) but also stylists who don't even work there anymore is ridiculous. people are actually calling for boycotts of everything under the kering label which is just asinine. this has descended into some insane qanon christian moral panic in just a number of days.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Idk if it's overblown, especially the children posing with the BDSM plushy bear-handbags. Those are fun for a night out among mature adults but should have NEVER been near children. It's at least in very bad taste.

I have seen more provocatively dressed barbie dolls and action figures. ACTUAL toys for children.

 

[KoV]

I have seen more provocatively dressed barbie dolls and action figures. ACTUAL toys for children.

Where have you seen Barbies or action figures wearing something MORE provocative than nothing but a leather BDSM harness. Maybe something aftermarket, but certainly there would be outrage if Mattel was selling kink Barbie dolls by having 5 year olds playing with them in ads posted online or in magazines for adults.


The people actually responsible for the ads aren’t even defending/explaining themselves or standing behind the imagery so I don’t get why people online are bothering to do so. I think there should be room for discussion outside of just "if you don't have a problem with it you're a p*do" or "if you do have a problem with it you're a zealot" but so far most of the defenses of it I've seen don't really address the issue, it's either whataboutism or trying to equate the criticism with far-right ideology.

 

[aracic]

i definitely agree that the campaign choices were really gross and all those involved should be held accountable, but the extension of this witchhunt to not only people who wear balenciaga (which is absurd) but also stylists who don't even work there anymore is ridiculous. people are actually calling for boycotts of everything under the kering label which is just asinine. this has descended into some insane qanon christian moral panic in just a number of days.

I can agree on that. Even though Lotta is into some weird sh*t too, she has no connection to the scandal in question. The blame shifting game here is insane! I am patiently awaiting the day they announce that Demna is stepping down. I'm not usually the type of person to 'cancel' and boycott someone out of existence, but I would very gladly see the back of Demna as he leaves the fashion industry never to be seen again. I hate the change he initiated in fashion and I can't wait for it to go.

I have seen more provocatively dressed barbie dolls and action figures. ACTUAL toys for children.

That is a different conversation, though. While female action figures and Barbies can be dressed provocatively by some standard, they're never in actual sex and fetish attire (Lolita aesthetic excluded). We could have a lengthy discussion about what's normalised through toys and cartoons, what's acceptable and what isn't acceptable to be presented to children - but this isn't the place for that.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Where have you seen Barbies or action figures wearing something MORE provocative than nothing but a leather BDSM harness. Maybe something aftermarket, but certainly there would be outrage if Mattel was selling kink Barbie dolls by having 5 year olds playing with them in ads posted online or in magazines for adults.


The people actually responsible for the ads aren’t even defending/explaining themselves or standing behind the imagery so I don’t get why people online are bothering to do so. I think there should be room for discussion outside of just "if you don't have a problem with it you're a p*do" or "if you do have a problem with it you're a zealot" but so far most of the defenses of it I've seen don't really address the issue, it's either whataboutism or trying to equate the criticism with far-right ideology.

There is nothing explicitly sexual about black bands or a nose piercing. At all.

That is a subjective interpretation. A child would have no more of sexual reference for those bears than they would for this He-Man action figure, which is far more explicitly erotic:

 

[KoV]

There is nothing explicitly sexual about black bands or a nose piercing. At all.

That is a subjective interpretation.

Let's not pretend anyone here is upset about a nose piercing on a toy, that's just dishonest. There are various bears, wearing various items, ranging from fairly innocuous to outright sexual. Leather BDSM harnesses are sexual. That's not a subjective interpretation. It is objectively their intended use. If it were so clearly subjective, Balenciaga themselves would be pointing that out, don't you think? In any event, it's not merely the bears people are upset about. I mean, those bears were on the runway being carried by adults, no one batted an eye. It's just how they were presented with small children in marketing, coupled with the ads featuring documents about child p*rn*gr*phy, etc. that is causing an uproar. Everyone, it seems, offering a defense is focusing on certain details and in my opinion misrepresenting the accusations. Are the documents also being subjectively interpreted? They were TRYING to be edgy. If someone thinks that's ok, make that case. But to act like people are being silly or perverted for even interpreting the images as anything edgy in the first place is just ridiculous.

 

[Caffeine]

I can agree on that. Even though Lotta is into some weird sh*t too, she has no connection to the scandal in question. The blame shifting game here is insane! I am patiently awaiting the day they announce that Demna is stepping down. I'm not usually the type of person to 'cancel' and boycott someone out of existence, but I would very gladly see the back of Demna as he leaves the fashion industry never to be seen again. I hate the change he initiated in fashion and I can't wait for it to go.



That is a different conversation, though. While female action figures and Barbies can be dressed provocatively by some standard, they're never in actual sex and fetish attire (Lolita aesthetic excluded). We could have a lengthy discussion about what's normalised through toys and cartoons, what's acceptable and what isn't acceptable to be presented to children - but this isn't the place for that.

I agree with you.

As a mother of two, those pictures were the most offensive I've seen - worse than the penis looking HIMS ads plastered all over NYC subway where little kids took daily to school.

There is NO excuse for using real life children to promote a lifestyle. Period. Full stop.

Kering's reaction after the Kanye incident is the opposite of what they are doing right now. It just tells you that when it comes to their own actions, they just hold a different standard. They are now dodging the responsibility. They can sue people however they want, but I don't believe in a second that Demna didn't sign off on it. It's a shame, because I was a huge fan of Nicholas' Balenciaga. I have been waiting patiently for the house to return to its old glory but how they are reacting right now is insufficient to say the least.

 

[Caffeine]

But she didn't style any of those campaigns and has stopped working with Balenciaga for years...

Yes I agree. She seems to be a collateral damage for the stuff she posted on her social media pages (why would people even do that?)

The bad news is that she went to Balenciaga because of Demna and the two worked together for a few years. So the consistent taste/theme seems to point things in Dema's direction...

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Let's not pretend anyone here is upset about a nose piercing on a toy, that's just dishonest. There are various bears, wearing various items, ranging from fairly innocuous to outright sexual. Leather BDSM harnesses are sexual. That's not a subjective interpretation. It is objectively their intended use. If it were so clearly subjective, Balenciaga themselves would be pointing that out, don't you think? In any event, it's not merely the bears people are upset about. I mean, those bears were on the runway being carried by adults, no one batted an eye. It's just how they were presented with small children in marketing, coupled with the ads featuring documents about child p*rn*gr*phy, etc. that is causing an uproar. Everyone, it seems, offering a defense is focusing on certain details and in my opinion misrepresenting the accusations. Are the documents also being subjectively interpreted? They were TRYING to be edgy. If someone thinks that's ok, make that case. But to act like people are being silly or perverted for even interpreting the images as anything edgy in the first place is just ridiculous.

I have more issues with these dolls than I do with those bears:

 

[Caffeine]

I have more issues with these dolls than I do with those bears:

View attachment 1221448


View attachment 1221449w

As a parent, you can choose not to buy these dolls. Media is different.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

The bears are only guilty of looking like they work at Hot Topic





Those dolls are definitely more problematic than these bears.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Someone explain to me how those bears are somehow worse than those dolls.

Please tell me how these bears are at all sexual?

Have any of you participated in BDSM?

I'm pretty sure they don't dress like that.

 

[Caffeine]

The bears are only guilty of looking like they work at Hot Topic

View attachment 1221453

View attachment 1221454

Those dolls are definitely more problematic than these bears.

they don't show up on media or walls on street...

 

[Deleted member 7575]

they don't show up on media or walls on street...

Do you honestly believe those bears are at all sexual?

That they are worse than those dolls?

BTW the campaign was for Instagram.