Kim Kardashian modeled a Balenciaga dress during Paris Fashion Week nearly a year after the brand faced backlash for its controversial photo shoot involving children.
The 42-year-old Kardashians star posed in a long, black latex scoop-neck frock in a photo shared by Balenciaga’s Instagram account on Sunday, October 1. However, Kim reportedly did not walk the runway wearing the ensemble. In response to the post, several commenters recalled the criticism that Kim and the label received in 2022. However, comments on the post were limited.
“Ugh I thought Kim was done with Balenciaga, but look how cute,” one person wrote. “That was quick,” another added.
In November 2022, Kim came under fire by fans for her association with the fashion company because of an ad that Balenciaga promoted at the time. In its holiday campaign, children were seen holding up teddy bears with BDSM harnesses and costumes. As a result, countless viewers condemned Balenciaga and Kim. Within a matter of days, the Skims founder broke her silence on the matter.
“I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened,” Kim wrote in a statement via X at the time. “As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images. The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period.”
Kim shares kids North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm West with ex-husband Kanye “Ye” West. In her tweet, Kim concluded that she was “re-evaluating [her] relationship with the brand.”
A month after she issued her statement, Kim reflected on the ordeal during a December 2022 episode of the “Angie Martinez IRL” podcast.
“Even with the Balenciaga thing, it was like, everyone was like, ‘Why aren’t you speaking out? Why aren’t you speaking out?’” the entrepreneur recalled. “And I’m like, ‘Wait, I’m not in this campaign. I don’t know what’s happening. Let me, like, take a minute to research this,’ and then as soon as I saw what everyone was seeing on the internet and the reality of the situation, I completely spoke out and gave my thoughts on child porn and completely denounced it.”
Nevertheless, Kim noted that she was still scrutinized because she didn’t speak out immediately after the brand’s ad surfaced.
“Because I didn’t say, ‘Fuck you, Balenciaga,’ that’s it, people got mad at that,” she continued. “So, it’s like they’re mad if I don’t speak out, they’re mad if I do speak out and if I don’t cancel [the brand].”