Balenciaga is slammed by furious parents over ‘disgusting’ campaign showing children holding BONDAGE-clad teddy bear handbags
- Spanish brand promoted their bondage teddy handbags with child models
- Two of the bags feature soft toys dressed in S&M outfits and black thongs
- Outraged parents have blasted the ‘creepy’ campaign images on social media
Balenciaga has been slammed by furious mothers for their ‘disgusting’ campaign showing children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage gear.
The Spanish fashion brand currently has two images of young children cuddling up with the plush handbags on their website.
The first photo on the online store shows a young ginger-haired child standing on a plush pink bed and holding a white teddy bag by its leather strap.
As well as having spiky leather bracelets around the bear’s arms and legs, the soft toy is dressed in a mesh crop top with a chain and padlock around its neck.
Meanwhile, the gift shop section of the website features another image of a child standing on a sofa and holding a purple furry toy bag.
A photo of a young child holding one of the brand’s bondage teddybear handbags is currently featured on Balenciaga’s website. Although the bags are not currently available to buy, the images have been used to promote other items in their gift shop – such as a £90 reusable coffee cups and a £705 dog harness
Along with a leather S&M get-up, the plush toy is wearing what looks like a black lace thong too in an image taken to promote the brand’s gift shop
Outraged parents branded the images ‘creepy and wrong’ on social media
Along with a leather S&M get-up, the plush toy is wearing what looks like a black lace thong too.
In the background of the image, a blue toy bag has been placed on a side table and is wrapped in more studded leather bands.
Although the bags are not available to purchase on their website yet, the images have been produced to promote the items in their gift range – including £90 reusable coffee cups and a £705 dog harness.
Unsurprisingly, the campaign images have caused a stir among parents on social media – who branded them ‘creepy’ and ‘uncomfortable’.
The bondage-clad teddybears are actually handbags that appeared on the runway earlier this year
Parents were amazed that the photoshoot ever got the sign-off. Meanwhile, others labelled the images ‘uncomfortable’
Mumsnet users were up in arms of the images and accused the brand of trying to ‘shock’ people
‘Frightening how many adults must have been involved in this,’ one Twitter user mused. ‘Parents, photographers, creative directors, copywriters, design agency staff, producers, managers, advertisers… and not one of them thought, “hang on a minute?”‘
Another raged: ‘Jesus, that’s just creepy and wrong.’
Over on Mumsnet, parents took issue with the ‘highly inappropriate’ photoshoot.
One wrote: ‘B****y typical of Balenciaga. They shock to get attention for there overpriced rubbish. It’s like a social experiment on how ridiculous there products are but yet people buy the rubbish.
‘This though is disgusting and verging on depraved. What possessed the parents of this child to think this is any sort of normal I cannot fathom.’
‘That is a very uncomfortable image,’ another added.
Femail has approached Balenciaga for comment.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk