Tuesday 29 November 2022 09:57 PM Balenciaga: Ruby Tuesday Matthews slams fellow influencers for staying silent ... trends now
A prominent Australian fashion blogger has slammed influencers for refusing to publicly condemn Balenciaga following the fashion house's recent BDSM child photo scandal.
Balenciaga triggered outrage with its 2022 Holiday advertising campaign, which depicted children holding teddy bears that were dressed in bondage attire, and its Spring/Summer 2023 campaign featuring pages from a US Supreme Court decision on child pornography laws.
In a lengthy apology statement on Monday, the fashion house took full responsibility for the teddy bear images but insisted it had no involvement in the photoshoot featuring child porn legislation.
Ruby Tuesday Matthews (pictured) has slammed fellow influencers for refusing to publicly condemn Balenciaga following the fashion house's recent BDSM child photo scandal
Ruby Tuesday Matthews, an outspoken influencer based in Byron Bay, has since blasted the brand for seemingly shifting the blame, writing to Instagram on Tuesday: 'This is your apology Balenciaga? As a brand I've admired and loved for years I'm so angry at this response'.
'To my fellow "influencers" who are the first to post on trend handbags, push designer goods and go to the upscale events, your silence is deafening,' the mother-of-three continued in a subsequent post.
'You still have time to be a voice for children. To use your platform for good. I'm sure you'll still be invited to the events and get your free bags. Because they will need a PR miracle after this,' she added.
Balenciaga triggered outrage with its 2022 Holiday advertising campaign, which depicted children holding teddy bears that were dressed in bondage attire (pictured)
Matthews, an outspoken influencer based in Byron Bay, has since blasted the brand for seemingly shifting the blame, writing to Instagram on Tuesday: 'This is your apology Balenciaga? As a brand I've admired and loved for years I'm so angry at this response'
'To my fellow "influencers" who are the first to post on trend handbags, push designer goods and go to the upscale events, your silence is deafening,' the mother-of-three continued in a subsequent post
Matthews also included several screenshots of comments she'd received from fans congratulating her for publicly denouncing the Paris based fashion brand.
The scandal erupted when Balenciaga released its 2022 Holiday ad campaign that featured children posing with bags that looked like teddy bears that were dressed in BDSM gear.
In the photos the kids also appeared surrounded by empty wine and champagne glasses.
Matthews also included several screenshots of comments she'd received from fans congratulating her for publicly denouncing the Paris based fashion brand
Balenciaga, which is popular with A-list celebrities including the likes of Kim Kardashian - has deleted two shocking images showing two young girls holding a teddy bear in bondage style gear on the gift shop section of its website
After the BDSM bears fiasco, eagle-eyed critics started examining the rest of Balenciaga's campaigns closely. They soon discovered that in the background of an image from the Spring '23 campaign was a printout of a Supreme Court ruling on whether or not internet child porn can be legally considered free speech (pictured)
The distinctly adult themes immediately troubled many who asked why children had ever been used.
On Sunday Kim Kardashian, the brand's biggest ambassador, said she is 're-evaluating' her relationship with the fashion house in light of the scandal, but fell short of distancing herself from the brand for good.
Balenciaga ignored the scandal around the teddy bear photos at first and seemingly allowed the photographer who was involved, Gabriele Galimberti, to take the heat.
