Monday 28 November 2022 07:44 PM Balenciaga claims it had no control over the props in photoshoot including ... trends now
Balenciaga issued a lengthy statement on Monday claiming it had no control over the props used in his Spring '23 ad campaign where a printout of a SCOTUS ruling on child porn was photographed behind a handbag, after filing a notice that it planned to sue the production company responsible.
The fashion house from Spain is suing ad production company North Six Inc., as well as set designer Nicholas Des Jardins and his own brand for including images of legal documents on the US Supreme Court's decision on child pornography laws in the ad campaign.
Uproar over the campaign came days after the brand was called out over a separate ad campaign that was entirely its own doing, which showed young children posing with bondage-clad teddy bears.
In an Instagram statement on Monday, Balenciaga once again doubled down on the claim that it had nothing to do with the SCOTUS ruling making it into the shot that ended up on its website.
In an Instagram statement on Monday, Balenciaga once again doubled down on the claim that it had nothing to do with the SCOTUS ruling making it into the shot that ended up on its website
'All the items included in this shooting were provided by third parties that confirmed in writing these props were fake...they turned out to be real most likely coming from the filming of a television drama. The inclusion of these unapproved documents was the result of reckless negligence for which Balenciaga has filed a complaint,' it said.
The statement went on: 'We take full accountability for our lack of oversight and control of the documents in the background and we could have done things differently.'
North Six did not produce the teddy bear ads, but it came into the frame with the SCOTUS printout after the teddy bear bag controversy erupted. Because both were produced independently, as different campaigns at different times of the year, many critics say they point to a disturbing pattern within the brand.
Balenciaga has apologized for the teddy bear ads and removed them from its site. It however is seeking to blame the SCOTUS printout on North Six and set producer Nicholas Des Jardins.
This is the July ad campaign which featured the printout of the SCOTUS child porn ruling
One of the ad's photos contained an excerpt from the US Supreme Court opinion in United States v. Williams, which upheld part of a federal child pornography law, which Twitter's own fact-checkers confirmed
As a result of Defendants' misconduct, members of the public, including the news media, have falsely and horrifically associated Balenciaga with the repulsive and deeply disturbing subject of the court decision,' court documents reveal.
'Defendants are liable to Balenciaga for all harm resulting from this false association.'
The lawsuit has not yet been filed. An attorney for the brand told DailyMail.com that they had no comment on the planned legal action.
The 2008 Supreme Court ruling United States v Williams examined if laws against the promotion of child pornography were in violation of the first amendment. It was seized on by critics last week after the controversial teddy bear ads sparked fury online.
The ruling
