Your background knowledge about the various actors and levels of responsibility adds a lot of much-needed nuance to this discussion.. Very very valuable and well-executed content. Thank you, Justine!!
That is what I wanted to write! The way you layed it out, Justine, made it so much more impactfull and also very much inexcusable! Thank you for calling them out in such a sophisticated way! Thank you for speaking up!
“Can we please stop thinking that any press is good press and leave children out of it?” 100% agree with you. Thank you for the tone you struck in this video 👍🏼
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:6
They didn’t do this because they cared about good or bad press they did it because being open about your life style is the way of satanism. They believe if they make you aware of their evil they can not be spiritually held accountable because when you know about their evils that makes you willing.
“Any press is good press” must be a statement from people who are only good at washing dishes. People in the Advertising industry think otherwise. It’s a ridiculous statement for us.
As a former marketing executive for several luxury brands, this is 100% accurate. The client and agency have multiple layers of approval and consent built into the preproduction, production and post production of every advertising product. There is no such thing as a "one off". I have been a on both the client/brand and agency teams on sets for print and broadcast advertising and NOTHING escapes the eyes of the responsible party, which is always and inescapably the client. "The edgy photographer made me do it" or "the stylist did it without my knowledge" are excuses which simply do not pass the smell test. It just does not happen.
Their excuses sound like people trying to wash their hands clean of responsibility, because honestly, the people involved could be accused of child pron/pedophilia because of their photo concept.
As a fashion designer, I completely agree with you! All the little things you see on a photoshoot have to be approved. And the most bizarre is Balenciaga saying they didn't approve the models being children! The choice of models is one of the most important parts of the process of the campaing, as they will be the "faces" of the brand. Poor excuses!
There’s a movement by the extreme in our society to outright lie. Too many people would rather write this all off as a mistake than really LOOk at what is happening.
Why does this even surprise you Balenciaga.. it's hidden in plain sight. Ba'al Enci Aga... In Latin is means Ba'al is King. Don't bury your head in the sand.
@@index7989 I know this is irrelevant to the discussion as I am equally angry at their behavior, but as a specialist I'll say: that is not Latin at all. It doesn't mean anything. Still, to hell with them.
Subtle hints of pedophilia have been seen in entertainment/ads etc for a very long time. I think child actors know more than anyone how disgusting the entertainment industry truly is. I suppose it's no surprise this can extend into the fashion industry since they intermingle often. Balenciaga made the "mistake" of throwing it in our faces very boldly, as if to say "yes this is happening, and there's nothing you can do about it." Maybe they didn't expect THIS much outrage? Not sure what they though they could gain other than attention.
Hmmm... they just can't prevent themselves from leaving open clues about what they are... this is one trait of the devil's (s)pawns. This statement works wether you take it literally of figuratively. The more time passes, the more obvious they are. Probably because the rot has become so prevalent in our societies.
like what? they're literally not getting away with it and getting mega-cancelled (as they should) and losing a ton of money.... so you can't say they they are getting away with it
Your assessement is spot on. I was a producer (commercials and still) for many years and the ONLY way this campaign happened was due to a tyrant with too much power, people scared of losing their jobs and a lot of money.
So one guy(who you assume exist with all this power) got even other brands like Adidas. Bowing to his power 🤔🤔 why is there multiple level of board approval then ??? See that’s what’s dangerous. Is people constantly making excuses for those WELL PLANED events of photo shoots. Their is clearly a group well installed that made sure this was going to happened And I believe they even knew they was going to be a back lash
Why does this even surprise you Balenciaga.. it's hidden in plain sight. Ba'al Enci Aga... In Latin is means Ba'al is King. Don't bury your head in the sand.
@@index7989I never saw it that way - Ba’al is king. Meaning of Ba’al - Baal, god worshipped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites, who apparently considered him a fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the pantheon. 😮
Justine, you nailed it. I also work in brand and advertising and NOTHING is unintentional. This campaign is disgusting and additionally I have recently learned that the CEO of Kering also has been tied to some very troubling product marketing as it relates to children. As consumers they have told us where they stand; it is now up to us to make it clear where we stand.
They are all the Same, just different names, under the Same Company (Kering)💥 We Gotta CANCEL THE company that owns Balenciaga ➡️ Kering 💥 It owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Subsidiaries ⬅️⬅️⬅️ (Bottega Veneta Boucheron Brioni Gucci Alexander McQueen Yves Saint Laurent Pomellato Qeelin )
There is no excuse for the widespread pedophilia in the fashion industry and more importantly in Hollywood. Everyone is at fault for this, there is no way they did not know or realize this “error”. With the rise of the internet and social media, children now more than ever are not safe. Going forward I hope people no longer shop from this brand. Thankyou for speaking out on this 💕
Children in reality are safer than ever in normal spheres. It's when children are ALREADY being exploited through work that they are directly exposed to adult situations. While I agree that Hollywood seems inherently pedophilic because of their obsession with youth and the Ingenue, children should not be working, full stop.
@cane sugar find something better to do than argue on a TH-cam video comment. The entire world is responsible for children as they are innocent and cannot be responsible for themselves, and that means that every single one of us is responsible for their safety.
Merci beaucoup, Justine. I saw the images & was shocked & disgusted at how graphically they were referring to child abuse & exploitation. You're right - people dealing in visual communication don't do these things "by accident". When I found out about all the references to child abuse that I didn't know were in the image (the written material, book etc etc), I saw that the people setting this up are saying yes to abuse. It's utterly appalling. There should be a police investigation into the entire team involved in this campaign, and perhaps wider within the organisation.
won't happen money talks why do you think there is no list of customers from the epsteins being taken down. they'd have to arrest most of the US poltical elite.
In my view, Ballenciago was testing the waters. How close are we to getting the public to accept pedophilia and child abuse? So they’ll back off for now. But they will be back. This will end in violence either against children or against those perpetrate these atrocities. If we look at culture now vs even 10 years ago, we see an accelerating trend of increased depravity. Thank you, Justine, I appreciate your remarks.
You do get that for thousands of years, teen girls of 13 years were sold, or gave to get married? So, you have extra even in that comparation. Yes, I know, people lived much shorter, but anyhow. It is not that chilreen abuse is a new thing under the sun. It was done trought whole human history.
Give it a rest. Your suggestion is absurd. This is just an ill conceived marketing campaign that backfired in a big way. There is no larger nefarious plan to normalize pedophilia and it's dumb to suggest it.
@@josipag2185 you're saying things that are true but a little more context should be added or else it might be misleading. having an arranged marriage to a young girl in order to unite your two families, waiting until she is of age, then staying married with her throughout her life, is very different to how a pdf-file (I can't spell the word properly or else youtube will hide the post) will groom a child outside of marriage, defile her or him before she is of age, then get rid of him or her without taking any responsibility when he or she gets too old or gets pregnant before finding another child and ruining their life. Secondly, yes child slaves were abused in the past and weren't protected or taken responsibility of like child brides were, however in most cultures, slaves were typically taken from an enemy group that you were at war with and whose welfare your group did not care about. IT would be a more new thing if it were to become normalised for a culture to abuse its own children, which is what academic "queer theorists" like the man called "the Godfather of Queer Theory" , Foucault, Gail Rubin who wrote the founding document of queer theory and many others have advocated.
Thank you for sharing this. I've also been a project manager in big ad agencies, and I've been a part of many photo shoots. The level of planning at shoots for campaigns, and in post, is down to the pixel (literally). There is no way that the brand did not know about this or understand what was going on, and no way they didn't know that the nuances of one campaign crossed over to the next shoots. It's planned. The photos of the kids are just vile, and suggestive on way too many levels. I don't understand how the parents let their kids be a part of any of the shoots. The parents would have had to sign consent forms, and waivers. Generally, we would send the concepts and storyboards when casting a minor. Also worth mentioning is that nearly every shoot and campaign we did had to go through legal, because there's too much at stake as far as trademark / copyright / reputation. They either didn't involve legal or just didn't care what their legal team said.
If the payment for this child model is high enough, then many parents would not bother the whole set. This extra income for a family with their children as models is highly appreciated!
@@asmrhawaii A lot of models are actually from impoverished countries like those in Latin America or Eastern Europe. It's either you throw your child into someone's spank bank or your family doesn't eat. It's not something I support, but I feel like that bit of nuance is important to note.
“Balenciaga made their bed not once, but twice.” I whole-heartedly agree with this. They knew what they did wrong, and they did it again. Very upsetting. Thank you so much for explaining the process to us and for speaking about this!
I work in marketing and this is exactly what I said when I saw balenciaga’s horrible apology that made it sound like this campaign accidentally happened without their knowledge 🙄 just horrible
And they removed the old pics and put new ones and if you look closely there is a Demon and blood in the supposed child's drawings in the background, this is so sad.
Right I work in marketing too and a lot of people including important people have to approve even for one email campaign so what about a marketing campaign like that…
Thank you for calling out the BS by sharing how many layers of consent there’s been in this ‘campaign’. Even when they’ll hang someone lower on the ladder out to dry legally, we should hold the others accountable collectively. As a child I was always completely dumbfounded how many adults preferred keeping a blind eye and not stand up for us kids.
It's outrageous. It's really a scary world we live in. We cannot excuse Balenciaga for it's project....thank you for speaking out and being bold and also honest.... Much respect
I was horrified when this came to light. People kept saying on social media, how could this happen? Like it was an oversight that Balenciaga made. Clearly this was not a mistake. Thank you for your expertise and insight. I appreciate you breaking down the process of what goes into to creating a campaign, how many people are involved and how this was not an oops moment. Cheers
Exactly. These photos and campaign ideas had to go through several people in order to be released. And the fact that the brand threw the photographer under the bus says a lot, because they hired the photographer! Also, the creators of balenciaga have a very demonic background, and the wife especially is heavy on symbolism.
We are becoming de-sensitized to seeing shocking things so they have to keep pushing further and further… but there’s a line no one should ever cross. They deserve to be cancelled and made an example of. I never liked the energy of the brand and I would never buy/wear clothes from somewhere so negative. I think the brand is overrated - the clothes are either unwearable or boring so they have to make it outrageous somehow so they can sell.
What about the parents of those kids? How can they let this happen? The agencies? How can anyone work with children let this happen ? It turns my stomach. If I was a photographer and this was my assignment not only I would refuse to do it but also I would be fighting all those people, then taking action to stop them. I hope they all crumble down to nothing. Thank you for making this video.
@@pollysshore2539 Thank you, For yiur response. Come to think about O.U.R cause. 🤔 how did you hear of them? I had to turn off my notifications for donations🙄
@@lisabarker558 Pardon my edits. I’m on my cell phone and it’s old and fussy. I can’t tell what I need to correct until I post my comment and can read/see it in full.
@@lisabarker558 Unfortunately many groups in America that claim to save trafficking victims do nothing more than set up art workshops and sell the drawings/cards of trafficking victims to make money for their organization. As if this does anything to assist women in poverty who are being exploited by a third party, and are looking for a way out of the situation. *I’ve talked to several women who were previously engaged in prostitution, or are currently engaged in it, over the years. Several have been in situations where they engaged in prostitution of their own free will. They controlled and managed every aspect of it (there are many that have always controlled every aspect themselves but there are different realities for several people). They have also been in situations where they were manipulated and coerced by someone else who controlled everything and took all the money. This is a group that is looked down on and spat on by many. Few do anything to actually help them. Few did anything to actually help some of them when they started out as teen runaways on the streets. O.U.R falsely claims they are selling cards made my trafficking victims to line their own pockets.
Thank you, Justine, for your moral compass. Child actors and models have always been subjected to being sexualized; however, Balenciaga’s pedophilia was so overt that it couldn’t be ignored. If any company deserves to be “canceled”, one who mocks a Supreme Court decision to excuse their own complete lack of judgement and flaunts sexual child abuse should definitely be. They’re not cool, trendy or avant-garde; they are disgusting.
I'm no fashion expert but I remember someone on a show about the fashion industry talking about how it was a closed little world that sheltered individuals who would be considered freaks elsewhere. He said something along the lines of, when you first go in the monkey cage, you're shocked by the smell, then as you become desensitized you don't notice the smell anymore, until you're reminded by people who aren't desensitized. These are people who live in the monkey cage, 24/7.
I think you mean it shelters the depraved dregs of society. No one who puts this much effort into stylizing evil is uninvolved in it. To come up with such a pedophilic ad campaign says: high level leaders in our company are pedophiles. People with no interest in cannibalism do not make cannibalism-themed ad campaigns. Balenciaga just showed us who they really are. And are now backpedaling because to their shock, even though similar darkness and evil has been fed to the public mind through media, we're still not degenerate enough to tolerate implied child sexual abuse. A saavy police force would start investing executives within the company immediately. Like that Pizzagate thing. There used to be a website with photos of the art collections of the some of the people accused. The "art" was utterly depraved and extensively featured children in disquieting sexualized settings. One look made me think: no non- child abuser would own stuff like this. You find out someone bought art like that, you start searching for where they buried their child victims' bodies.
@@dcollins4679 yes.. this was exposed on purpose. Funny how people were burning their balenciaga and with a guick search you'll find out what that name actually means. Watch a clip from American Horror Story where a witch dies by fire at the stake.. she yells out balenciaga which can be looked at as a sacrificial move hence forth whats happening now. Was it by chance or anouncement??
It really made me wonder if the people involved in the creation of the Balenciaga photoshoots are all so used to treating children and models and child models like props that it doesn't even occur to them that they could be causing harm
That position when a child lies on a sofa is the most disturbing… it almost looks as a child sedated and being prepared for something awful to happen to him… he is vulnerable and helpless like SO MANY pedophiles like to see them. This was NOT an accident. And a person (or people) who came up with this concept DEFINITELY watched a lot of child pornography - at least, “soft core.”
This is accurate. Even the setting, having dishes under the couch as if the child hasn’t left the room, having wine glasses as if the child was under the influence-this is what they do to CSEC children. We live in a very dark world
When you dig deeper into the Instagram accounts of the stylist and the associated artists there are images of child cruelty and animal cruelty that are horrific but of course now these accounts have all been privatised There is a lot of disgusting imagery in the higher echelons of the fashion and entertainment industry
@N D Merci. I hope Justine pins your comment.👏 The majority of viewers here would not know to follow the trail on Instagram as you have done. The words that come to mind for me are: Fetish, S&M, Lack of Empathy > Psychopathy. We can also ask questions about what outcomes sustained and varied drug use may have on human judgement, human behaviour and the function of the human brain?
Thank you so much for exposing the total depravity, erroneous conscience and poor judgment in this brand. This is not the bad decision of one or two people. This campaign was approved by a multitude of sick minds before being printed.
Justine, I have always loved your fashion advice, but now my admiration is doubled for you speaking out on this horrific ad campaign!! So much more than any celebrities are doing!! ❤
Agreed. I’ve always loved Justine’s perspective but this was like a TED level expert talk - set out the issues clearly, and explained so much about the industry!
I basically live under a rock, so I hadn’t heard about this scandal. The whole thing is disturbing and horrible. One thing I’m shocked by is that the parents of these children allowed them to model in these photos. If I were that baby’s mother and saw the props, you can bet I would be pulling him off the shoot.
Something that makes me sad with child actors/models is their parents are so focused on success they rarely consider what can happen. I don’t know what happened but it’s possible the parents just dropped off their child and didn’t stay around or weren’t allowed to stand around. An example I like to bring up is from Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal: there was a young child actor who didn’t have a father and was playing the role of a child in a family home, this resulted in the child being very emotionally distressed because he felt so connected with the role. I do blame the mother for allowing her son in that role, she knew how her son felt without a father so being in a role for a week where he felt like he had a Dad is a huge risk.
I wonder if these children even have parents or if they are trafficked. But yes, there a very sick parents who would exploit their children (or even traffic them to sickos) without thinking twice.
There is an unfortunate tendency in the high fashion industry to see the ethical concerns of the "normies" as "unenlightened". High fashion designers live in an echo chamber which is completely divorced from reality, and they put together their collections and shows with the deliberate intent of being "edgy" and thumbing their noses at cultural norms to get attention from each other. But as soon as someone outside the industry rightly points out how a collection or advertisement is utilizing appropriation, exploitation, or even is just in poor taste, the fashion industry is wont to roll their eyes at how their art is simply "misunderstood" by those outside their select circle. Balenciaga was WAY over the mark here - but they didn't get there accidentally overnight. They don't even really seem to understand now what they did wrong - which doesn't bode well for future collections.
Yeah, this entire scandal feels like it’s going according to plan for them. Like a “hehe, let’s troll the masses so we get that firestorm of publicity” kinda thing. I would argue making models look like beaten refugees thing is distasteful enough, let alone them doubling down with the content they clearly planted in this shoot for child models. They apparently can’t see the boundaries they’re crossing and that’s alarming.
@@innocentnemesis3519 look them up yourself. It can be difficult when you first start but that way you know where the info comes from. Use library copies of mags and look at who is credited for photos and stories. But be aware that you can never go back and unknow what you learn.
Thank you sooo much for saying this. I’m new-ish to the industry as a recent graduate and have been absolutely disgusted seeing people justify this campaign ad in the name of ‘art’.
I worked in photography a while back. There's no way an ad for a big brand like this would make it to print "by accident". Even when we photographed "boring" straightforward catalog stuff, there were many people hovering around making sure it was what they wanted.
So, what it is ? Why nobody say it? Time ago news had show rich people going to some places ( island) to abuse children. Dont forget Epstein case. That its the horrible reality. they are putting in our faces while they are smiling ( sorry my english its no my mother tong)
As a mother of two children (boy 7, girl 4), I'm obviously shocked and appalled by this campaign. We live in a strange world where making money is more important than well being of our children. Thank You for this video ♥️
Kanye West a devoted Christian got out just in time, in sure it was on purpose. Both Adidas and Balenciaga should go bankrupt from this, they where fully aware! The name can be translated from Latin BAAL enci aga=Baal is king! And who is baal? He is a demon, so I'm not that shocked!
Not even about $$$$. It's in their nature! The church and it's fathers have been doing this for centuries to children. Actually... "KIDs". Question.....look up the definition of a "kid."
I was so angered by what they did I threw out my Balenciaga perfume. I was glad I decided not to buy their bag because I would have taken it back. Child abuse isn’t trendy or a joke. No one believes that everyone in management didn’t have approval.
What brands like this don’t realize is just how inconsequential they are to the average, everyday person that they love to look down upon. All this “ scandal” does is reinforce what the majority of people already know…evil exists.
Yes you have to be really vain and materialistic to care that much for having a piece of these brands' items. Just by knowing that Kim Kardashian collaborates with them, tells all for me.
@@lu544 I mean, of course I've seen the videos talking about it. But the designer has been long dead and didn't not design or create what we see within the brand today
True, but sadly we live in a world where some celebrities make choices on fame and fortune rather than morals. If it were me I wouldn't even have one in my closet at this point. I'm positive that if you walk into any celebrities closet right now you'll find an entire section dedicated to Balenciaga. And while they may not purchase anything new until this all blows over they'll still hold onto anything they already have because, after all, it is Balenciaga and holds status in their world 😒
It's clear this should be the end of this brand... surely... What happened with the B brand is that they tried to see what response they'd get from what is being tried recently in the wide world - attempt to normalise sexualising childen to the disgusting extent. Thankfully people still have decency to stand against it! Thank you Justine for this video.
Yes! I agree.. There is an evil world-wide campaign to slowly, but surely, desensitize people for MAP ("minor-attracted people"). If we call it like it is, it is pedo_____. Many of us who were victims of child abuse can see it and its very scary. (Its called grooming).
As a person that doesn’t work in the fashion industry or marketing and may not know the whole process, this whole situation was very well explained that now I understand the big trouble they are in! Thanks for a great content and explanation in the matter ❤
Why does this even surprise you Balenciaga.. it's hidden in plain sight. Ba'al Enci Aga... In Latin is means Ba'al is King. Don't bury your head in the sand.
Justine, hats off to you for addressing this in such an incredibly professional manner. It does not surprise me one bit, I spent 35 years in the industry and some things made me sick to my stomach and angry at times but a make-up artist holds little sway! I am so glad that this has come to light . It needs a mass movement to stamp out the abuse and exploitation of children, and the predators, here's hoping this goes a long way to doing just that. Thanks heaps. xx
The situation with Adidas and their contract is something I had no idea about. Thank you for using your platform to help us understand this situation. I’m glad we are all on the same page that kids being involved is a no. And that Balenciaga was being dishonest in their “We had no idea” non apology. I have never bought anything from them and now I certainly won’t.
This is horrible. There is so much trafficking in this world and children are targets. I am so appalled by this brand’s message to the world and a certain group of people. Thank you for talking about this Justine.
Are they being told what to do, to prepare the public for disclosure? Disclosure is coming, worldwide, next year. The timing of this is not lost on me. We shall see............
I had never heard of Kering or Balenciaga before. So if they just wanted exposure they definitely got it. I am glad I found your video. Thank you for thoughtful discussion of this matter.
Thank you for speaking out about this, Justine!! It is an outrage. Your expertise in fashion makes you a great advocate for change! Your videos can be so thought-provoking. I really enjoy watching all of them.
I appreciate you going into detail to explain the process of a print campaign. It is sickening and frightening how Influential individuals and companies are pushing for the sexualization of children.
I get the impression that they (the people behind Balenciaga) underestimated the public's intelligence terribly. Perhaps they expected it to be just a slap on the wrist and everything would be forgotten... Also, looking back to the Christmas gifting campaign I realized that the kids don't look like models in a photoshoot but as products that are for sale too. Creepy to say the least...
This is what it's all about. All the time. Remember the wayfair scandal? Remember pizza gate? Remember Epstein island? Remember Obama gate? Remember Rachel Chandler?
Blinded by arrogance and superficial power. It's systemic. We see it with psychopaths all the time. They get too comfortable which leads to their capture, eventually, as they make mistakes.
What worried me more is that in the back of one of the office photos is a book of art. The artist (amongst other things) apparently produces images of children who have been surgically altered and appear to be bleeding. I was sickened when I saw that. This whole campaign stinks
Also in the back of another picture the name of a rich man who abused his granddaughter and was tried for it can be read in a desk name plate. It's truly sickening
@@Gr95dc I didn't know about this. The more and more we discover about this whole thing, the clearer it becomes that none of this was a mistake, and that the people who run that are total psychos beyond repair.
Yes, this campaign is incredible. I can’t believe a piece of case law documentation pertaining to child pornography laws was included as a prop-the fact that they “slipped” that in makes me think someone is getting off on their public deviance.
Agree! That was no coincidence. I don’t believe it was the production or prop co. I think it was from someone internal at Balenciaga, who also concepted the holiday campaign. Truly disturbed person(s). Someone high up to decide and approve everything.
@@pennPi It's not just one person. If you look at all prominent creatives at Balenciaga, all of them are absolute cree ps. Their social media pages, especially their instagram accounts were filled to the brim with very disturbing imagery. Now they're all empty or privated.
I cannot emphasize enough how valuable this video is. For those of us who have been on the front lines of the fashion photo industry, we know how it all works so educating others how it goes down is key. THANK YOU. They absolutely knew what they were doing. WITHOUT QUESTION. All intentional. Creative team was all the way in on it.
@@kaliyugaBK369 I heard that there was some media coverage and bad press. Thanks to Justine for explaining to us and to have the guts to make this video, Justine is is a real front runner when it comes to right or wrong in Fashion. If people allow such behavior, then they will just run with it It takes the fun out of fashion and it makes it self-serving and just plain nasty. With so many of the gay people in the fashion industry People will point a finger at them very unfairly. This is good though it will stop it before it gets out of control.
You described the process perfectly!! I’m a graphic designer and have been in photo shoots and yes many people need to sign off on the creative before it releases to the public. Thank you Justine for explaining the behind the scenes in a campaign photo shoot!!
The court document was enough for me to know that they wanted us to know. What is more worrying is if they predicted the clash back and are anticipating that even negative reactions is part of publicity but hopefully the people will debunk that no publicity is bad publicity once and for all. I hope they go bankrupt and their reputation and reputation of any of their potential rebrands hopefully doesn’t recover.
One of my many concerns is if Balenciaga was wondering if they could push that subject to see how the public would handle it. Almost like trying to make it acceptable in some way which is both deeply distressing and disturbing. Thank you for speaking publicly about this as someone in the fashion industry. Child abuse in any form is not something to make light of or art about. 😪
Drag queen story time is another example of this ,who would think a bloke with exaggerated sexual mannerisms is appropriate to read stories to children, we live in a sick world.
Fashion has always pushed boundaries..that's good 'ART'. But Balenciaga has crossed the line into "Trash" [just like their trash bin handbags -- are they having a laugh at our expense ??] They should be made an example of. Art is not abuse or exploitation. Great insight and video Justine .
Calling these things ‘art’ doesn’t make it art … it’s just another excuse to get people to ignore/turn a blind eye to the filth going on in the name of ‘art’
I genuinely appreciate that you made this video. I’m a mother of 4 children, and I’m a survivor of CSA, and what Balenciaga did, in my opinion, was abhorrent. The more I’ve learned about these campaigns, and the more I’ve learned about some of the people involved, I won’t lie, it made me question what else is going on in the fashion industry as a whole, BUT you are right, just because one brand did these things, that doesn’t mean everyone in the industry is doing things like that.
I dont wantt o be to quick to cancel innocent unwitting companies BUT After researching this Balenciaga business I am convinced that the high fashion industry is a small, dark, circle. Look up Rachel Chandler, of Epstein fame. She casted the models in this campaign if I'm not mistaken. She runs midland modeling agency
Have you ever heard of pizzagate? Researching that back in 2016 changed me forever. The official story is that it was a conspiracy theory and a big nothing burger. I can assure you it was as bad as this and it was covered up with help from MSM, Stephen Colbert, and major censorship.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there is hardly any industry that is any better than this one. Keep your eyes wide open, trust yourself and allow your mind to get blown so you can be on your way to healing so you can later help others.
Thank you for tackling this issue, Justine. You could have ignored it, but you didn't. Your insight clarified the question of responsibility in the matter, which was a grey area. Such cynical use of disturbing material, for publicity, in my opinion, really borders on the criminal. Thanks again, for your integrity, and hard work.
Justine, thank you for explaining this so eloquently, it sheds some much needed light on this situation. The intent to shock was clearly there, but to involve innocent children is unfathomable.
I sincerely appreciate the research that supports the opinions expressed in this video. I have learned a lot about the fashion industry in only 16 minutes. It is sad to see people doing/allowing things like this happen, I agree with Justine that people from Balenciaga were aware of everything included in the shots and I believe that they intended something that went out of control and backfired them. On a funny note, what made me smile was the concept of "the mothership" that own Balenciaga and other luxury brands. Thanks a lot, Justine for your video. After years following you, I keep learning and opening my eyes to the world of fashion through your videos.
Thanks for addressing this. It’s DISGUSTING to see exploitation of children in 2022. It’s unforgivable and criminal. It’s equally shocking to see Balenciaga, photographer and everyone else involved try to wash their hands of the project THEY ALL approved. Wow, just wow.
@@kayelle8005 Not forgetting that there are exploitative parents out there too. Trust me, we had a production company and made commercials for 9 years. It never ceased to amaze me just what some parents would do to get their little darlings on camera...ultimately and often, for their own gain. It is a very hard one to stamp out but nonetheless sickening to observe. I aplaude Justine for addressing this in such a professional manner. Kudos!🙏
yes, and they hired that sick photographer. I think he's a child pornographer who passed himself off as a professional photographer and Kering, being of the same ilk, buys in to it.
It's called damage control. Standard procedure and now being employed by your corrupt politicians who are ratting on their colleagues, as I write this. Electric guillotines that were created for us, will be used on them. And there internment camps and all of those coffins stored on farmland just outside major cities all across the USA. All of it will be used for them. The cult members. The Luciferian Cult members. We have entered the 300 year transition into Saatya Yuga. All darkness will be exposed to the light. These are recurring cycles......
My personal opinion is that Balenciaga took being edgy to an extreme. To me the runway looked a lot like using refugees issue to draw attention to the show. However, IMHO they knew exactly what they were doing, just did not expect such a backlash. And do not get me started on children, that is beyond any line of normality.
I don’t agree with you. I think it a trend what been going on in the last couple of years in western countries. With is the establishment trying to normalise this.
The kids and items make me think about human trafficking or exploitation. Very "edgy". Not sure if the parents were informed what their kids would be posed as. And the kids are too young to consent in that.
I agree. When I first saw the photos I thought it was some weird campaign They did to raise awareness for a organisation/charity who worked against trafficking/sexual abuse. Then I found out They Are doing this to sell their own products , like Wtf!?! Did no one, involved in creating this, see how sick and disgusting the insinuations in those ads were!? Like wtf 🫠🫠🫠
@@beegreentoday maybe we need to take a look at these charities that are supposedly fighting against trafficking then. It would be perfect for them if those that are supposed to stop it are actually helping them do it.... sick to think of.... but with people as powerful and rich as these are.... it is not impossible and I unfortunately think could be very likely.
And the fact that there are decent companies in the fashion industry means it’s possible - what happened at Balenciaga doesn’t necessarily come with the territory. So there is no excuse really to not meet standards if basic human decency just because you’re a fashion brand. Thank you Justine, great video! Love your background knowledge on the whole context. ♥️
I work as a corporate accountant and I don’t even need to work in the Fashion Industry to become fully aware how tedious it takes and several levels of approval it needs before a work-order/or advertising expense like this gets paid and finalized. I’m pretty sure before an Advertising concept gets finalized, there’s been a series of back and fort communication between Balengiaca Marketing Team and their vendors (3rd party team)for this project. And before everything takes place, the expense or budget has to be pre-approved by corporate heads. I agree that plenty of people are involved.
Wow, I really appreciate your breakdown of this issue. Yours is the best explanation I've heard about how this whole process works. As someone with no knowledge of the fashion industry workings, I really appreciate the time you took to make this. I find it very disturbing, as an American, how the elites and "role models" in Hollywood and fashion have been eerily quiet on the issue. Children are to be protected and not used as props in some disturbing campaign. But with that said, I agree that not every fashion brand should be blamed with propagating this message.
I think most people would be shocked, if not in complete denial, about how widespread this type of behaviour is in Hollywood, the music industry, fashion, gaming, and politics. Society is run by evil. Take the narrow path, folks.
@@vg7735 The wrong actions do not come from the church, the bible is against all sin. Those who did it from the church are accountable for their actions and they did it out of their own violition.
@@JustHereToHear and then the church worked together to cover it up and transfer them to new towns instead of punishing them so they could do it again... ALL power corrupts, even the power inherent in becoming THE world religion. Religions are not immune to evil on the basis of being religions. Open your eyes! You can't trust ANY institutions inherently. Hold everyone and every org accountable.
Only evil churches cover up sexual abuse that has nothing to do with the Bible though. Organized religion can be corrupt but just remember there are also churches out there doing food drives for the poor and doing good things. Anything evil is the work of the devil not the work of god
Oh gosh, Justine, this was one of my favorite videos of yours ever. So thoughtful, kind, deep, and compassionate. At the same time so clear, and intelligently presented. If someone didn't follow you this far, this should do it. You're the opposite of superficial. Thank you for being you.
Thank you for using your platform to bring light to the disgusting campaigns that this fashion house has been pushing on the public. Art doesn’t always have to be disturbing and evil. I commend you for standing against the idea of exploitation of children. 👏👏👏👏
It is no secret that pedophilia has gone on for centuries, and continues to be prevalent. It’s an unsavoury subject, so people rarely want to talk about it. Perhaps this recent error will be the start of shedding greater light on the issue, reminiscent of the ‘me, too’ movement.
@@user-no2mz9hl4f I fervently hope so. That has been my exact hope for a while, now. I want a KidsTOO movement to start. The only problem is that kids would find it so hard to speak about it as, according to horrific statistics, they are predominantly preyed upon by male family members and friends of the family.
It is beyond my undestanding why there's people who pay fortunes for the garbage produced by "high-end" brands. Price do NOT determine quality or beauty.
Thank you for this video. One thing you didn’t directly address that I find the most shocking, is that child models would legally have to have a guardian on set whose entire role is to support them and look out for their safety and well-being. What in the $&@# were those adults doing?! This isn’t even one adult with poor judgement - there was almost certainly more than one guardian, as there are multiple child models in the campaign and the guardian is generally the child’s parent. My mind is blown.
My daughter has done some promotional shoots. ( Not for that company I hasten to add) But either I can go as her chaperone. Or a chaperone who has had DBS safeguarding checks accompanied her. usually if there's more than one child on set.
Thank you Justine. I've taken a reluctant look at Balenciaga's attempt at 'shockvertising' and believe these were very deliberate decisions. It is much worse than I imagined. The chief officers of the company - Demna Gvasalia, Cédric Charbit (CEO), Martina Tiefenthaler (Chief Creative Officer) and Ludivine Pont (Chief Marketing Officer) need to carry responsibility for this, and not redirect blame to any of their project team. I think they should be prosecuted and removed from the company, if it survives at all. Some celebrities who are fronting the brand, such as Nicole Kidman, have not said a dickie bird.
I understand Justine's point about the legal ramifications. But this is so egregious if I were Nicole Kidman I would just have to speak out and to hell with the consequences! I don't believe any court would hold her to a contract that had neglected to mention the campaign she was fronting would feature p*dophilia.😱
I'm so happy you spoke about this. This industry's obsession with children is disgusting. Almost nobody's mentioning the Creative Director Demna Gvasalia. He needs to be replaced with someone who knows how to stay loyal to that brand's legacy. If it ever recovers (hopefully not).
I was not aware of these events until I watched this video. It makes me sick. Thank you for posting and for taking a strong stand against any sort of normalizing sexual abuse of children.
Why does this even surprise you Balenciaga.. it's hidden in plain sight. Ba'al Enci Aga... In Latin is means Ba'al is King. Don't bury your head in the sand.
Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like suggestive photos of children, right? 🙄 Thanks for this in-depth look at this issue, it was really informative, especially regarding why some celebrities might be quieter than we'd expect.
When i did the same work in fashion, parents were briefed before the photo shoot, and were present on set with thier child. None of the parents protesting using thier children in this matter? Are you kidding me?
As always, Justine, you manage to spark new connections in my brain (🤯) with your meticulous research AND renew my faith in humanity with your heartfelt delivery. ❤️ Grateful for you!
I don't know about what humanity are you talking about when 10% of humanity are starving, while the others are spending huge effort, energy, and money on what they will wear and or gonna be trendy tomorrow
Dear Justine, I love your channel. I have been following you for years. So, I’m going to respond to your question, "Did they mean this to happen?" since it is a ‘hot button’ issue for me. HUNDREDS of people were involved in this campaign - from the ad agency, to the PR firm and in-house ad and PR staff, to the Balenciaga legal team. For instance, it takes a team of several hundred people just to create the little products in the giveaway bag and get the giveaways organised. Extrapolate that for the entire campaign. They absolutely, completely 100% "knew" about it. Nothing that represents the brand so directly goes out to the public without being approved by some very Big Shots within the company. There was a brief moment in the late 70s when popular celebrities who were themselves addicted to cocaine advocated introducing cocaine to children. That got shut down pretty quickly. My guess is that there is some big shot at Balenciaga that is into child porn and BDSM and therefore sees it as "controversial" and "interesting" instead of "horrific" and "repugnant." "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” Edmund Burke. We must work together to shut down this "fashion trope" as quickly as possible. I now protest publicly on every forum available to me. Second, while I do not generally endorse "cancel culture," wearing Balenciaga should be as socially unacceptable as wearing a baby-seal-skin coat to a vegan wedding. Finally, boycott Balenciaga. This brand will only pay attention if they feel it in their pocketbook. Furthermore, if a brand as unassailable as Balenciaga suffers financially, no other fashion house will try sexually exploiting children for publicity. Fashion is supposed to be light-hearted self-expression; an exercise in beauty and novelty. It should not be a bully pulpit for glamorizing the cruel sexual exploitation of children! Sincerely, Linda C Grace
Very very well said. It’s becoming apparent to me that women are going to have to be the leaders on protecting children as faint aspects of paedophilia try to rise up in all quarters of society. We probably assumed men would protect us, but this one is down to us. We need powerful vocal women to start using their influence to delete certain brands from the face of the planet.
Thank you Justine. I worked with a fashion photographer just after college. She had very little input comparative to the art director and marketing team and this was working with local brands. Can't even imagine the tight control a huge brand like Balenciaga would have. I already pity the scapegoat whoever it may be. This whole thing makes me want to vomit. It is so horribly wrong on such a deep level.
Greetings Justine: given your clarification of how nothing goes into these marketing shoots by accident I took a look at the Supreme Court decision referenced on the attorney's desk. Could it be that the document on the lawyers desk refers to pictures of children discussed in the first part? I reviewed the synopsis of the case and boy does it send a clear message! It says that even if speech is associated with or linked to the kind of porn that appeared in the first campaign involving children, it cannot be suppressed if it is not itself that kind of porn.....I'm a psychoanalyst and forensic psychiatrist. Your concern is entirely warranted in my view. It seems as though they are telling those of us concerned about the portrayal of children for sexual purposes to F....k off. My response: this attitude is not aligned with the ethics of good decent people working in fashion. No remorse just legal citations.....I believe WE HAVE TO CANCEL - NOW....Thanks for your work
I don't know for sure, but from what I've read, the parents were people involved in the campaign - people who work for Balenciaga. I can't remember where I saw that, so don't take it at face value, but it would make sense if it's true.
@@jd-no7rw if that is true it makes their childrens' participation even worse because the parents knew what the concept was about. Just my opinion, of course.
Well, I have a feeling parents didn’t understand the photo ! Like they were unaware what’s going on ! They only thought it would be a Normal kid photo shoot
@@jd-no7rw This is utter bullcrap, in my opinion. I've also read something of the kind, but if this were the case Balenciaga would have brought proof, and they haven't. This was done through a modelling agency.
This is literally the best breakdown of a situation that I have seen/read all year for ANY SUBJECT. What you say makes what happened all the more worse. With this Balenciaga debacle and those poor models breaking their ankles at that Valentino runway, fashion houses look like absolute monsters right now. Thank you so much, now delving into your capsule wardrobe series!
This has been going on for a long long time. Look up Terry Richardson and the kind of images he takes especially in his personal studio. Girls locked in suitcases, naked barely legal looking with kittens, he also had this disgusting photoshoot where he goes this thing called tampon tea. There was even a documentary that that American model did where the one girl says she was sexually abused by him and the fashion industry praised him for years.
It’s mind blowing that not one single person stepped back and said NO. This like many other questionable campaigns just proves that people only care about themselves, being associated with the brand and making money.
There is an agenda that subliminally they want to force upon us. They have been doing this for eons. However, the sleepers are awakening. Arrogance got the better of them. Simple blind arrogance.
I need to say thank you! Finally, I see someone in mainstream social media that stands up to this! Balenciaga has crossed the line with their campaign and it’s outrageous that nobody in the stops them for doing it, so thank you!!!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I have followed this very discusting story, as many people have. It seems like quite a few of these affluent people believe there are no limitations for them. They must feel that they can do whatever they please because their money protects them from consequences or prosecution. I sincerely hope they are boycotted. Hit them where it hurts, in their pocket books!
Thank you for your thoughts on this subject. It is a disgrace. But balenciaga have been having a laugh at the general public for a long time.. their products are more and more ridiculous, and it is time that they become accountable.
The Balenciaga brand is currently owned by the French corporation Kering. It owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent. The owner of the parent company is Francois Henri Pineault, French Billionaire married to actress Salma Hayek.
Excellent overview of this heinous situation. Balenciaga appears to condone child pornography as an advertising option. I am disgusted. As they say the"barn door"is already open, so it's to late recover the loss. Arrogance and false denials won't work. Goodbye Balenciaga. Thank you for posting this.
Today news have been posted on Instagram claiming Balenciaga will be showing a new collection in Paris Fashion Week on March 5, 2023!!!! But the worse is they are still with THE SAME CREATIVE DIRECTOR DEMNA GVESALIA 😱😠😡!!!!!!!!… And I suppose the same team that has worked with him during the extremely disturbing things that happened last year!!!! so it’s business as usual????!!!! Wtf😢
I don’t think this was for “attention” or “controversy” so they could just sell their items. I think it was a highly calculated move done by the top level people. Demna (head designer) and Lotta Volkova (works at Balenciaga) have both admitted to “growing up on” CP. And Lotta Volkova has been linked to Epstein. I personally think they enjoy this type of nastiness and based on their own admission and they thought it would be funny to add these undertones in. I think they also thought it would be edgy to normalize it. I highly suggest you google both and do research on that. Additionally, Volkova has scrubbed her insta but it used to have sick pictures of children and violence. Anyway thanks for your video and relating it to your own experience. While I despise this whole situation and connected parties I do feel bad for the Balenciaga name as Cristobal Balenciaga has nothing to do with this and was a great designer.
Do you have any sources for this stuff? Edit: I've seen Lotta's Instagram photos and seen the locked account myself so I can confirm she is absolutely obsessed with imagery of child abuse. She also has sexual imagery with teddy bears in the photos she's since deleted so yeah this was absolutely intentional and even though she's no longer working with Balenciaga is no coincidence to me. They're clearly all connected to each other and think the same/ influence each other.
I hadn’t heard of the brand until the controversy, not that I could afford or want their styles. I clicked on your video randomly. You explained everything very well. The campaigns to exploit children and making them sexualized is so pervasive and it’s disgusting. Thank you for you perspective and your knowledge. I agree with you totally.
Thank you for taking the time to explain this so clearly & provide your knowledgeable insight to make sense of this situation. It really helped me understand the depth of the situation involved in this scandal & it's made me stop to question my value for these products. It's gone well beyond edgy & avant-garde. What they've done is outrageous & unacceptable.
Your background knowledge about the various actors and levels of responsibility adds a lot of much-needed nuance to this discussion.. Very very valuable and well-executed content. Thank you, Justine!!
Thank you!
Diana ~ I completely agree. Justine is a beautiful soul with a pure heart and much wisdom!
That is what I wanted to write! The way you layed it out, Justine, made it so much more impactfull and also very much inexcusable! Thank you for calling them out in such a sophisticated way! Thank you for speaking up!
Couldn't agree more. This was so interesting to watch. A very informative video
yes - it's like having a friend on the inside.
“Can we please stop thinking that any press is good press and leave children out of it?” 100% agree with you. Thank you for the tone you struck in this video 👍🏼
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:6
Perfectly articulated. Bravo.
They didn’t do this because they cared about good or bad press they did it because being open about your life style is the way of satanism. They believe if they make you aware of their evil they can not be spiritually held accountable because when you know about their evils that makes you willing.
The "refugee" campaign was the same as the "trash" one? That made me viscerally angry. They deserve cancellation.
“Any press is good press” must be a statement from people who are only good at washing dishes. People in the Advertising industry think otherwise. It’s a ridiculous statement for us.
As a former marketing executive for several luxury brands, this is 100% accurate. The client and agency have multiple layers of approval and consent built into the preproduction, production and post production of every advertising product. There is no such thing as a "one off". I have been a on both the client/brand and agency teams on sets for print and broadcast advertising and NOTHING escapes the eyes of the responsible party, which is always and inescapably the client. "The edgy photographer made me do it" or "the stylist did it without my knowledge" are excuses which simply do not pass the smell test. It just does not happen.
thank you!
From Lisa B to another Lisa B Thank you !
Truth
I figured! Thank u for sharing!
Their excuses sound like people trying to wash their hands clean of responsibility, because honestly, the people involved could be accused of child pron/pedophilia because of their photo concept.
I hope they don't recover from this. Some things are unforgivable.
me too i hope it vanishes without trace from the face of the earth
The most important thing is that other companies need to see there are negative consequences so they don't try anything similar.
This is just the beginning. Everything's in place to make pedophilia legal and normal.
@@ellencoleman4604
So they can hide it more cleverly
yeah!!! I cant believe that sooobmany adults are involvedbon this and they do nothing!!! I would never work in a brand that promotes children abuse!!!
As a fashion designer, I completely agree with you! All the little things you see on a photoshoot have to be approved. And the most bizarre is Balenciaga saying they didn't approve the models being children! The choice of models is one of the most important parts of the process of the campaing, as they will be the "faces" of the brand. Poor excuses!
There’s a movement by the extreme in our society to outright lie. Too many people would rather write this all off as a mistake than really LOOk at what is happening.
Companies who lie think no one notices . The owner needs to be jailed
GOOD POINT. so many glaring holes in their “explanation”
Why does this even surprise you Balenciaga.. it's hidden in plain sight. Ba'al Enci Aga... In Latin is means Ba'al is King.
Don't bury your head in the sand.
@@index7989 I know this is irrelevant to the discussion as I am equally angry at their behavior, but as a specialist I'll say: that is not Latin at all. It doesn't mean anything.
Still, to hell with them.
Subtle hints of pedophilia have been seen in entertainment/ads etc for a very long time. I think child actors know more than anyone how disgusting the entertainment industry truly is. I suppose it's no surprise this can extend into the fashion industry since they intermingle often. Balenciaga made the "mistake" of throwing it in our faces very boldly, as if to say "yes this is happening, and there's nothing you can do about it." Maybe they didn't expect THIS much outrage? Not sure what they though they could gain other than attention.
Subtle?
As on what they thought they could gain other than attention... I think small hue mans were being advertised, in addition to the plush bags.
Or maybe they know very well we can't do nothing to them
@@katebretusch3752 We can, but they know people who can boycott their brands won't.
Hmmm... they just can't prevent themselves from leaving open clues about what they are... this is one trait of the devil's (s)pawns. This statement works wether you take it literally of figuratively.
The more time passes, the more obvious they are. Probably because the rot has become so prevalent in our societies.
It's crazy the amount of darkness and depravity you can get away with simply by calling it edgy.
Oh, you are not wrong!
right
like what? they're literally not getting away with it and getting mega-cancelled (as they should) and losing a ton of money.... so you can't say they they are getting away with it
@J Well it's getting harder for them to get away with it now thanks to people like Matt Walsh bringing it to people's attention.
And now they call satanism art
Your assessement is spot on. I was a producer (commercials and still) for many years and the ONLY way this campaign happened was due to a tyrant with too much power, people scared of losing their jobs and a lot of money.
So one guy(who you assume exist with all this power) got even other brands like Adidas. Bowing to his power 🤔🤔 why is there multiple level of board approval then ???
See that’s what’s dangerous. Is people constantly making excuses for those WELL PLANED events of photo shoots. Their is clearly a group well installed that made sure this was going to happened
And I believe they even knew they was going to be a back lash
fact
Why does this even surprise you Balenciaga.. it's hidden in plain sight. Ba'al Enci Aga... In Latin is means Ba'al is King.
Don't bury your head in the sand.
@@index7989I never saw it that way - Ba’al is king. Meaning of Ba’al - Baal, god worshipped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites, who apparently considered him a fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the pantheon. 😮
@@index7989 Ba'al is the name of a _god_ of the Phoenicians and Canaanites in _Hebrew,_ not Latin. The _Latin_ word for king is _rex._
Justine, you nailed it. I also work in brand and advertising and NOTHING is unintentional. This campaign is disgusting and additionally I have recently learned that the CEO of Kering also has been tied to some very troubling product marketing as it relates to children. As consumers they have told us where they stand; it is now up to us to make it clear where we stand.
… or their legal team were in on it!
Thanks for sharing !
They are all the Same, just different names, under the Same Company (Kering)💥
We Gotta CANCEL THE company that owns Balenciaga ➡️ Kering 💥 It owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Subsidiaries ⬅️⬅️⬅️
(Bottega Veneta
Boucheron
Brioni
Gucci
Alexander McQueen
Yves Saint Laurent
Pomellato
Qeelin )
She's a satanist.
you should see where the director of the ad takes things ITS INSANE,
WEF behind it all those pedos members of WEF
There is no excuse for the widespread pedophilia in the fashion industry and more importantly in Hollywood. Everyone is at fault for this, there is no way they did not know or realize this “error”. With the rise of the internet and social media, children now more than ever are not safe. Going forward I hope people no longer shop from this brand. Thankyou for speaking out on this 💕
Who is everyone that is responsible for this?
Children in reality are safer than ever in normal spheres. It's when children are ALREADY being exploited through work that they are directly exposed to adult situations. While I agree that Hollywood seems inherently pedophilic because of their obsession with youth and the Ingenue, children should not be working, full stop.
Did you see the video to the end?
@@SG-df9er sure jan.🙄
@cane sugar find something better to do than argue on a TH-cam video comment. The entire world is responsible for children as they are innocent and cannot be responsible for themselves, and that means that every single one of us is responsible for their safety.
Merci beaucoup, Justine. I saw the images & was shocked & disgusted at how graphically they were referring to child abuse & exploitation. You're right - people dealing in visual communication don't do these things "by accident".
When I found out about all the references to child abuse that I didn't know were in the image (the written material, book etc etc), I saw that the people setting this up are saying yes to abuse.
It's utterly appalling. There should be a police investigation into the entire team involved in this campaign, and perhaps wider within the organisation.
The parents are the ones that need to go to jail
Agree.
Sadly many police are the same
won't happen money talks why do you think there is no list of customers from the epsteins being taken down. they'd have to arrest most of the US poltical elite.
@@zachemorgan I just watched Mark Attwood show with Harry you might find interesting
In my view, Ballenciago was testing the waters. How close are we to getting the public to accept pedophilia and child abuse? So they’ll back off for now. But they will be back. This will end in violence either against children or against those perpetrate these atrocities. If we look at culture now vs even 10 years ago, we see an accelerating trend of increased depravity. Thank you, Justine, I appreciate your remarks.
You do get that for thousands of years, teen girls of 13 years were sold, or gave to get married? So, you have extra even in that comparation. Yes, I know, people lived much shorter, but anyhow. It is not that chilreen abuse is a new thing under the sun. It was done trought whole human history.
Give it a rest. Your suggestion is absurd. This is just an ill conceived marketing campaign that backfired in a big way. There is no larger nefarious plan to normalize pedophilia and it's dumb to suggest it.
well said carmen, I think it's the same thing
@@josipag2185 you're saying things that are true but a little more context should be added or else it might be misleading. having an arranged marriage to a young girl in order to unite your two families, waiting until she is of age, then staying married with her throughout her life, is very different to how a pdf-file (I can't spell the word properly or else youtube will hide the post) will groom a child outside of marriage, defile her or him before she is of age, then get rid of him or her without taking any responsibility when he or she gets too old or gets pregnant before finding another child and ruining their life.
Secondly, yes child slaves were abused in the past and weren't protected or taken responsibility of like child brides were, however in most cultures, slaves were typically taken from an enemy group that you were at war with and whose welfare your group did not care about. IT would be a more new thing if it were to become normalised for a culture to abuse its own children, which is what academic "queer theorists" like the man called "the Godfather of Queer Theory" , Foucault, Gail Rubin who wrote the founding document of queer theory and many others have advocated.
@@mizzury54 not the pedophile defending other pedophiles, you poor pathetic sick man 😂
Thank you for sharing this. I've also been a project manager in big ad agencies, and I've been a part of many photo shoots. The level of planning at shoots for campaigns, and in post, is down to the pixel (literally). There is no way that the brand did not know about this or understand what was going on, and no way they didn't know that the nuances of one campaign crossed over to the next shoots. It's planned. The photos of the kids are just vile, and suggestive on way too many levels. I don't understand how the parents let their kids be a part of any of the shoots. The parents would have had to sign consent forms, and waivers. Generally, we would send the concepts and storyboards when casting a minor. Also worth mentioning is that nearly every shoot and campaign we did had to go through legal, because there's too much at stake as far as trademark / copyright / reputation. They either didn't involve legal or just didn't care what their legal team said.
Exactly…
If the payment for this child model is high enough, then many parents would not bother the whole set. This extra income for a family with their children as models is highly appreciated!
@@nyahanan the parents are culpable too.
Thank you for saying this, especially from a knowledgeable perspective.
@@asmrhawaii A lot of models are actually from impoverished countries like those in Latin America or Eastern Europe. It's either you throw your child into someone's spank bank or your family doesn't eat. It's not something I support, but I feel like that bit of nuance is important to note.
“Balenciaga made their bed not once, but twice.” I whole-heartedly agree with this. They knew what they did wrong, and they did it again. Very upsetting. Thank you so much for explaining the process to us and for speaking about this!
I work in marketing and this is exactly what I said when I saw balenciaga’s horrible apology that made it sound like this campaign accidentally happened without their knowledge 🙄 just horrible
It's gaslighting, really, on a massive scale
And they removed the old pics and put new ones and if you look closely there is a Demon and blood in the supposed child's drawings in the background, this is so sad.
anyone in business smelled that B.S. miles away
I don't see how any apology could make them come back from what they did.
Right I work in marketing too and a lot of people including important people have to approve even for one email campaign so what about a marketing campaign like that…
Thank you for calling out the BS by sharing how many layers of consent there’s been in this ‘campaign’. Even when they’ll hang someone lower on the ladder out to dry legally, we should hold the others accountable collectively.
As a child I was always completely dumbfounded how many adults preferred keeping a blind eye and not stand up for us kids.
It's outrageous. It's really a scary world we live in. We cannot excuse Balenciaga for it's project....thank you for speaking out and being bold and also honest.... Much respect
I was horrified when this came to light. People kept saying on social media, how could this happen? Like it was an oversight that Balenciaga made. Clearly this was not a mistake. Thank you for your expertise and insight. I appreciate you breaking down the process of what goes into to creating a campaign, how many people are involved and how this was not an oops moment. Cheers
Exactly. These photos and campaign ideas had to go through several people in order to be released. And the fact that the brand threw the photographer under the bus says a lot, because they hired the photographer! Also, the creators of balenciaga have a very demonic background, and the wife especially is heavy on symbolism.
Kering the parent company also sells CHILD S@# Mannequins apparently...
We are becoming de-sensitized to seeing shocking things so they have to keep pushing further and further… but there’s a line no one should ever cross. They deserve to be cancelled and made an example of. I never liked the energy of the brand and I would never buy/wear clothes from somewhere so negative.
I think the brand is overrated - the clothes are either unwearable or boring so they have to make it outrageous somehow so they can sell.
What about the parents of those kids? How can they let this happen? The agencies? How can anyone work with children let this happen ? It turns my stomach. If I was a photographer and this was my assignment not only I would refuse to do it but also I would be fighting all those people, then taking action to stop them. I hope they all crumble down to nothing. Thank you for making this video.
People sell their souls to the devil.
@@achannelforlife6263 and their kids apparently 😔 so sad
This childhood sexual abuse issue is a literal nightmare from hell. Thank you for discussing this problem.
This is bringing the " Elephant in the room topic. abuse 😥of the Children ! I support O.U.R. Operational Underground Railroad!.
@@lisabarker558 O.U.R has one purpose and that is pandering to conspiracy theorists who demand child savior porn, hurting children in the process.
@@pollysshore2539 Thank you, For yiur response. Come to think about O.U.R
cause. 🤔 how did you hear of them? I had to turn off my notifications for donations🙄
@@lisabarker558 Pardon my edits. I’m on my cell phone and it’s old and fussy. I can’t tell what I need to correct until I post my comment and can read/see it in full.
@@lisabarker558 Unfortunately many groups in America that claim to save trafficking victims do nothing more than set up art workshops and sell the drawings/cards of trafficking victims to make money for their organization. As if this does anything to assist women in poverty who are being exploited by a third party, and are looking for a way out of the situation.
*I’ve talked to several women who were previously engaged in prostitution, or are currently engaged in it, over the years. Several have been in situations where they engaged in prostitution of their own free will. They controlled and managed every aspect of it (there are many that have always controlled every aspect themselves but there are different realities for several people). They have also been in situations where they were manipulated and coerced by someone else who controlled everything and took all the money.
This is a group that is looked down on and spat on by many. Few do anything to actually help them. Few did anything to actually help some of them when they started out as teen runaways on the streets.
O.U.R falsely claims they are selling cards made my trafficking victims to line their own pockets.
Thank you for addressing this matter. As adults, we all have an obligation to protect children. I'm done with Adidas, too, not just Badenciaga.
Agree
And yet, Adidas canceled Kanye! Oh, the hypocrisy!
That is why I never support any major brands. They are all hypocrites. I rather shop from unknowns.
Yes...
@@mifnp8887 Yes..
Thank you, Justine, for your moral compass. Child actors and models have always been subjected to being sexualized; however, Balenciaga’s pedophilia was so overt that it couldn’t be ignored. If any company deserves to be “canceled”, one who mocks a Supreme Court decision to excuse their own complete lack of judgement and flaunts sexual child abuse should definitely be. They’re not cool, trendy or avant-garde; they are disgusting.
So, who is really behind this ad? Why haven’t “they” been exposed? Seems like this disturbing story has been swept under the rug. Excellent video 👍
I'm no fashion expert but I remember someone on a show about the fashion industry talking about how it was a closed little world that sheltered individuals who would be considered freaks elsewhere. He said something along the lines of, when you first go in the monkey cage, you're shocked by the smell, then as you become desensitized you don't notice the smell anymore, until you're reminded by people who aren't desensitized. These are people who live in the monkey cage, 24/7.
I think you mean it shelters the depraved dregs of society. No one who puts this much effort into stylizing evil is uninvolved in it.
To come up with such a pedophilic ad campaign says: high level leaders in our company are pedophiles. People with no interest in cannibalism do not make cannibalism-themed ad campaigns.
Balenciaga just showed us who they really are. And are now backpedaling because to their shock, even though similar darkness and evil has been fed to the public mind through media, we're still not degenerate enough to tolerate implied child sexual abuse. A saavy police force would start investing executives within the company immediately.
Like that Pizzagate thing. There used to be a website with photos of the art collections of the some of the people accused. The "art" was utterly depraved and extensively featured children in disquieting sexualized settings. One look made me think: no non- child abuser would own stuff like this. You find out someone bought art like that, you start searching for where they buried their child victims' bodies.
They want us all to not notice the smell of the cage we're in.
@@dcollins4679 yes.. this was exposed on purpose. Funny how people were burning their balenciaga and with a guick search you'll find out what that name actually means. Watch a clip from American Horror Story where a witch dies by fire at the stake.. she yells out balenciaga which can be looked at as a sacrificial move hence forth whats happening now. Was it by chance or anouncement??
Good description of the Circus side show that is fashion.
It really made me wonder if the people involved in the creation of the Balenciaga photoshoots are all so used to treating children and models and child models like props that it doesn't even occur to them that they could be causing harm
That position when a child lies on a sofa is the most disturbing… it almost looks as a child sedated and being prepared for something awful to happen to him… he is vulnerable and helpless like SO MANY pedophiles like to see them. This was NOT an accident. And a person (or people) who came up with this concept DEFINITELY watched a lot of child pornography - at least, “soft core.”
You are absolutely right…. I feel like throwing up . This is so disturbing
You write from experience, Polina?
@@GholaTleilaxu she’s writing from our observation.
This is accurate. Even the setting, having dishes under the couch as if the child hasn’t left the room, having wine glasses as if the child was under the influence-this is what they do to CSEC children. We live in a very dark world
Yes, this photo made me sick the most!
When you dig deeper into the Instagram accounts of the stylist and the associated artists there are images of child cruelty and animal cruelty that are horrific but of course now these accounts have all been privatised
There is a lot of disgusting imagery in the higher echelons of the fashion and entertainment industry
@N D Merci. I hope Justine pins your comment.👏 The majority of viewers here would not know to follow the trail on Instagram as you have done. The words that come to mind for me are: Fetish, S&M, Lack of Empathy > Psychopathy. We can also ask questions about what outcomes sustained and varied drug use may have on human judgement, human behaviour and the function of the human brain?
Thankfully, good people who care about children have taken countless screenshots....so, it can never be denied.
Sorry if I am being naive but those photos aren’t reported to Instagram? Or is it that those following are ok with it?
Power breeds perversion.
Yes! Even the founders themselves are deeply entrenched in the occult. They know what they’re doing!
Thank you so much for exposing the total depravity, erroneous conscience and poor judgment in this brand. This is not the bad decision of one or two people. This campaign was approved by a multitude of sick minds before being printed.
Justine, I have always loved your fashion advice, but now my admiration is doubled for you speaking out on this horrific ad campaign!! So much more than any celebrities are doing!! ❤
Agreed. I’ve always loved Justine’s perspective but this was like a TED level expert talk - set out the issues clearly, and explained so much about the industry!
Agree!!!
I basically live under a rock, so I hadn’t heard about this scandal. The whole thing is disturbing and horrible. One thing I’m shocked by is that the parents of these children allowed them to model in these photos. If I were that baby’s mother and saw the props, you can bet I would be pulling him off the shoot.
Money matters more to some
If your child is modeling, you are a bad parent
Something that makes me sad with child actors/models is their parents are so focused on success they rarely consider what can happen. I don’t know what happened but it’s possible the parents just dropped off their child and didn’t stay around or weren’t allowed to stand around. An example I like to bring up is from Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal: there was a young child actor who didn’t have a father and was playing the role of a child in a family home, this resulted in the child being very emotionally distressed because he felt so connected with the role. I do blame the mother for allowing her son in that role, she knew how her son felt without a father so being in a role for a week where he felt like he had a Dad is a huge risk.
I wonder if these children even have parents or if they are trafficked. But yes, there a very sick parents who would exploit their children (or even traffic them to sickos) without thinking twice.
Child models can make a lot of money. The parents would rather sell their children than lose out financially.
There is an unfortunate tendency in the high fashion industry to see the ethical concerns of the "normies" as "unenlightened". High fashion designers live in an echo chamber which is completely divorced from reality, and they put together their collections and shows with the deliberate intent of being "edgy" and thumbing their noses at cultural norms to get attention from each other. But as soon as someone outside the industry rightly points out how a collection or advertisement is utilizing appropriation, exploitation, or even is just in poor taste, the fashion industry is wont to roll their eyes at how their art is simply "misunderstood" by those outside their select circle. Balenciaga was WAY over the mark here - but they didn't get there accidentally overnight. They don't even really seem to understand now what they did wrong - which doesn't bode well for future collections.
Are you aware of what these folks are dong behind closed doors? They're letting us all know what they're into. Look into the individuals behind this.
@@chloebelle4923 Why not just provide their names so people can actually do that?
Yeah, this entire scandal feels like it’s going according to plan for them. Like a “hehe, let’s troll the masses so we get that firestorm of publicity” kinda thing. I would argue making models look like beaten refugees thing is distasteful enough, let alone them doubling down with the content they clearly planted in this shoot for child models. They apparently can’t see the boundaries they’re crossing and that’s alarming.
@@innocentnemesis3519 look them up yourself. It can be difficult when you first start but that way you know where the info comes from. Use library copies of mags and look at who is credited for photos and stories. But be aware that you can never go back and unknow what you learn.
Thank you sooo much for saying this. I’m new-ish to the industry as a recent graduate and have been absolutely disgusted seeing people justify this campaign ad in the name of ‘art’.
I worked in photography a while back. There's no way an ad for a big brand like this would make it to print "by accident".
Even when we photographed "boring" straightforward catalog stuff, there were many people hovering around making sure it was what they wanted.
never forget chris cornell + chester bennington + avicii + princess diana + isaac kappy
Strange time they choose for such schemes. Difficult to believe that it's just a mistake.
Exactly!
It's NOT. These ads are approved from the top down
So, what it is ? Why nobody say it? Time ago news had show rich people going to some places ( island) to abuse children. Dont forget Epstein case. That its the horrible reality. they are putting in our faces while they are smiling ( sorry my english its no my mother tong)
Yes, but why??
@@asg2833 They want to show yo what they do and rub your nose in it!
As a mother of two children (boy 7, girl 4), I'm obviously shocked and appalled by this campaign. We live in a strange world where making money is more important than well being of our children. Thank You for this video ♥️
Strange world where sick satanist pedos run everything.
Kanye West a devoted Christian got out just in time, in sure it was on purpose.
Both Adidas and Balenciaga should go bankrupt from this, they where fully aware!
The name can be translated from Latin BAAL enci aga=Baal is king!
And who is baal?
He is a demon, so I'm not that shocked!
Making money by _using_ children. That's the thing. The wellbeing of the children is not even on the radar. 🤮🤮🤮
Yes 😔 we are humans of capitalism
Not even about $$$$. It's in their nature! The church and it's fathers have been doing this for centuries to children. Actually... "KIDs". Question.....look up the definition of a "kid."
What disturbs me is the parents allowing this to go on🤨
One of the parents of one of those kids is all 💯 defending Balenciaga. THAT SAYS A LOT! poor kid.
@@PinguinosAzulez One rule of satanism is that you have to sacrifice your first born child to achieve immortality. They really believe this ish.
Exactly 🤔😔🙏🏾
It’s called Willful Blindness: turning a blind eye to the truth in order to feel safe(r), avoid conflict, reduce anxiety, TO PROTECT PRESTIGE
@@aaloha2902 What truth is that? Your made up "truth"?
I was so angered by what they did I threw out my Balenciaga perfume. I was glad I decided not to buy their bag because I would have taken it back. Child abuse isn’t trendy or a joke. No one believes that everyone in management didn’t have approval.
I'm proud of you. I wish you had filmed a video pouring it out and telling B to F off.
It's been going on for centuries....child abuse. When people find out the extent of it, they will be traumatized.
What brands like this don’t realize is just how inconsequential they are to the average, everyday person that they love to look down upon. All this “ scandal” does is reinforce what the majority of people already know…evil exists.
Yes you have to be really vain and materialistic to care that much for having a piece of these brands' items. Just by knowing that Kim Kardashian collaborates with them, tells all for me.
@@vaderladyl Indeed...
Totally well said. Right on
@@SG-df9er Definitely tells you nothing as the brand is an old Spanish person last name.
@@lu544 I mean, of course I've seen the videos talking about it. But the designer has been long dead and didn't not design or create what we see within the brand today
This is totally vile and disgusting. Any celebrities still attached to the brand are morally bankrupt.
True, but sadly we live in a world where some celebrities make choices on fame and fortune rather than morals. If it were me I wouldn't even have one in my closet at this point. I'm positive that if you walk into any celebrities closet right now you'll find an entire section dedicated to Balenciaga. And while they may not purchase anything new until this all blows over they'll still hold onto anything they already have because, after all, it is Balenciaga and holds status in their world 😒
@@nuthinbutlove that's why u r not the celebrity. They need people with no morals to INFLUENCE mases and make new normal
This won’t be the first or the last time celebrity will openly support pedophilic behaviour
They are. But most people don’t care because they are morally corrupt themselves. People will still buy the brand, see the movies,etc.
@@angelirohival6270 absolutely!!
It's clear this should be the end of this brand... surely... What happened with the B brand is that they tried to see what response they'd get from what is being tried recently in the wide world - attempt to normalise sexualising childen to the disgusting extent. Thankfully people still have decency to stand against it!
Thank you Justine for this video.
Well said agree
Yep.
Yes! I agree.. There is an evil world-wide campaign to slowly, but surely, desensitize people for MAP ("minor-attracted people"). If we call it like it is, it is pedo_____. Many of us who were victims of child abuse can see it and its very scary. (Its called grooming).
They didn’t try anything.. they are just doing it .. have you not heard about the Christie Website with Child S*x Dolls?
It’s been in the news too..
@@fr13 no I’m almost sick to know it
As a person that doesn’t work in the fashion industry or marketing and may not know the whole process, this whole situation was very well explained that now I understand the big trouble they are in!
Thanks for a great content and explanation in the matter ❤
I had no idea too tho,well explain 💜🙏
Why does this even surprise you Balenciaga.. it's hidden in plain sight. Ba'al Enci Aga... In Latin is means Ba'al is King.
Don't bury your head in the sand.
Justine, hats off to you for addressing this in such an incredibly professional manner. It does not surprise me one bit, I spent 35 years in the industry and some things made me sick to my stomach and angry at times but a make-up artist holds little sway! I am so glad that this has come to light . It needs a mass movement to stamp out the abuse and exploitation of children, and the predators, here's hoping this goes a long way to doing just that. Thanks heaps. xx
what things? The same child exploitation things?
O.U.R.
Operation underground Railroad( O.U.R) do the research!
Industry people like you are a part of the problem… seeing firsthand for your 35 years and knowing what you know and doing nothing makes you complicit
The situation with Adidas and their contract is something I had no idea about. Thank you for using your platform to help us understand this situation. I’m glad we are all on the same page that kids being involved is a no. And that Balenciaga was being dishonest in their “We had no idea” non apology. I have never bought anything from them and now I certainly won’t.
This is horrible. There is so much trafficking in this world and children are targets. I am so appalled by this brand’s message to the world and a certain group of people. Thank you for talking about this Justine.
And by the way, who do you think might be doing the trafficking.
Very true. And they could have chosen to make the opposite statement ie. to respect children.
@@rigelb9025 go and see pizza gate,and you will understand...
Are they being told what to do, to prepare the public for disclosure? Disclosure is coming, worldwide, next year. The timing of this is not lost on me. We shall see............
I had never heard of Kering or Balenciaga before. So if they just wanted exposure they definitely got it. I am glad I found your video. Thank you for thoughtful discussion of this matter.
Thank you for speaking out about this, Justine!! It is an outrage. Your expertise in fashion makes you a great advocate for change! Your videos can be so thought-provoking. I really enjoy watching all of them.
We live in a time when we have to be vigilant to nurture the innocence of children, as a mother it can feel overwhelming.
The state and the sexualisation of children, Be on the watch!
We need to protect our children ..
ALL children!
@@Joanne217 And then we find out our tax dollars are being used to deliver unaccompanied minors crossing the border to pimps. I am outraged.
I appreciate you going into detail to explain the process of a print campaign. It is sickening and frightening how Influential individuals and companies are pushing for the sexualization of children.
Thank you!
👍👍
Thank you for this video. I'm extremely disgusted by balenciaga and even Adidas. These kind of things shouldn't be forgiven.
I get the impression that they (the people behind Balenciaga) underestimated the public's intelligence terribly. Perhaps they expected it to be just a slap on the wrist and everything would be forgotten...
Also, looking back to the Christmas gifting campaign I realized that the kids don't look like models in a photoshoot but as products that are for sale too. Creepy to say the least...
Exactly you are so right!
Woah that is terrible 😣
This is what it's all about. All the time. Remember the wayfair scandal? Remember pizza gate? Remember Epstein island? Remember Obama gate? Remember Rachel Chandler?
Children *should not* be in this campaign! Some products here should b sold in xxshop.🤮🤢
Blinded by arrogance and superficial power. It's systemic. We see it with psychopaths all the time. They get too comfortable which leads to their capture, eventually, as they make mistakes.
What worried me more is that in the back of one of the office photos is a book of art. The artist (amongst other things) apparently produces images of children who have been surgically altered and appear to be bleeding. I was sickened when I saw that. This whole campaign stinks
The book was on the desk in plain sight.
And that picture was uploaded *after the whole scandal was in full force.* That should tell you something.
@@BlueNorth313 wow!
Also in the back of another picture the name of a rich man who abused his granddaughter and was tried for it can be read in a desk name plate. It's truly sickening
@@Gr95dc I didn't know about this. The more and more we discover about this whole thing, the clearer it becomes that none of this was a mistake, and that the people who run that are total psychos beyond repair.
Yes, this campaign is incredible. I can’t believe a piece of case law documentation pertaining to child pornography laws was included as a prop-the fact that they “slipped” that in makes me think someone is getting off on their public deviance.
Totally! Crazy how many especially in the "art" world get away with this
Agree! That was no coincidence. I don’t believe it was the production or prop co. I think it was from someone internal at Balenciaga, who also concepted the holiday campaign. Truly disturbed person(s). Someone high up to decide and approve everything.
@@pennPi It's not just one person. If you look at all prominent creatives at Balenciaga, all of them are absolute cree ps. Their social media pages, especially their instagram accounts were filled to the brim with very disturbing imagery. Now they're all empty or privated.
I cannot emphasize enough how valuable this video is. For those of us who have been on the front lines of the fashion photo industry, we know how it all works so educating others how it goes down is key. THANK YOU. They absolutely knew what they were doing. WITHOUT QUESTION. All intentional. Creative team was all the way in on it.
@@kaliyugaBK369 I heard that there was some media coverage and bad press. Thanks to Justine for explaining to us and to have the guts to make this video, Justine is is a real front runner when it comes to right or wrong in Fashion. If people allow such behavior, then they will just run with it It takes the fun out of fashion and it makes it self-serving and just plain nasty. With so many of the gay people in the fashion industry People will point a finger at them very unfairly. This is good though it will stop it before it gets out of control.
You described the process perfectly!! I’m a graphic designer and have been in photo shoots and yes many people need to sign off on the creative before it releases to the public. Thank you Justine for explaining the behind the scenes in a campaign photo shoot!!
The court document was enough for me to know that they wanted us to know. What is more worrying is if they predicted the clash back and are anticipating that even negative reactions is part of publicity but hopefully the people will debunk that no publicity is bad publicity once and for all. I hope they go bankrupt and their reputation and reputation of any of their potential rebrands hopefully doesn’t recover.
I hope so.
One of my many concerns is if Balenciaga was wondering if they could push that subject to see how the public would handle it. Almost like trying to make it acceptable in some way which is both deeply distressing and disturbing. Thank you for speaking publicly about this as someone in the fashion industry. Child abuse in any form is not something to make light of or art about. 😪
Drag queen story time is another example of this ,who would think a bloke with exaggerated sexual mannerisms is appropriate to read stories to children, we live in a sick world.
@@stevelufc64 Exactly. And yet we have hundreds of these shows being held with children and anyone who isn’t ok with it is called a bigot.
It’s called “Overton window”
Absolutely right
Yup! Trying to normalize it to Mainstream
Fashion has always pushed boundaries..that's good 'ART'. But Balenciaga has crossed the line into "Trash" [just like their trash bin handbags -- are they having a laugh at our expense ??] They should be made an example of. Art is not abuse or exploitation. Great insight and video Justine .
This goes across a lot of industries. This is the tip.
Or are they being made to do it to get it out what really goes on so many are blind to it
There's fine line between being edgy and pushing boundaries with being narcisstic creepy satanic
Calling these things ‘art’ doesn’t make it art … it’s just another excuse to get people to ignore/turn a blind eye to the filth going on in the name of ‘art’
@@user-bv1ss5nj9b if you want the truth watch Mark Attwood show with Harry 2 days ago
Thank you Justine. You and your fellow French youtuber Frédérique Bros have both stepped up on this appalling scandal, bravo bravo xo
This made me feel sick. Thanks Justine for clarifying everything and putting it in context.
I genuinely appreciate that you made this video. I’m a mother of 4 children, and I’m a survivor of CSA, and what Balenciaga did, in my opinion, was abhorrent. The more I’ve learned about these campaigns, and the more I’ve learned about some of the people involved, I won’t lie, it made me question what else is going on in the fashion industry as a whole, BUT you are right, just because one brand did these things, that doesn’t mean everyone in the industry is doing things like that.
Of course she would say that. She's part of the industry. She's deflecting. She doesn't care about the abuse, she's just doing damage control.
@M_Mince08 It is not just your opinion that it is abhorrent, it is the TRUTH that what they did is that abhorrent.
I dont wantt o be to quick to cancel innocent unwitting companies BUT After researching this Balenciaga business I am convinced that the high fashion industry is a small, dark, circle. Look up Rachel Chandler, of Epstein fame. She casted the models in this campaign if I'm not mistaken. She runs midland modeling agency
Have you ever heard of pizzagate? Researching that back in 2016 changed me forever. The official story is that it was a conspiracy theory and a big nothing burger. I can assure you it was as bad as this and it was covered up with help from MSM, Stephen Colbert, and major censorship.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there is hardly any industry that is any better than this one.
Keep your eyes wide open, trust yourself and allow your mind to get blown so you can be on your way to healing so you can later help others.
Thank you for tackling this issue, Justine. You could have ignored it, but you didn't. Your insight clarified the question of responsibility in the matter, which was a grey area. Such cynical use of disturbing material, for publicity, in my opinion, really borders on the criminal. Thanks again, for your integrity, and hard work.
Justine, thank you for explaining this so eloquently, it sheds some much needed light on this situation. The intent to shock was clearly there, but to involve innocent children is unfathomable.
I sincerely appreciate the research that supports the opinions expressed in this video. I have learned a lot about the fashion industry in only 16 minutes. It is sad to see people doing/allowing things like this happen, I agree with Justine that people from Balenciaga were aware of everything included in the shots and I believe that they intended something that went out of control and backfired them. On a funny note, what made me smile was the concept of "the mothership" that own Balenciaga and other luxury brands. Thanks a lot, Justine for your video. After years following you, I keep learning and opening my eyes to the world of fashion through your videos.
Thanks for addressing this. It’s DISGUSTING to see exploitation of children in 2022. It’s unforgivable and criminal.
It’s equally shocking to see Balenciaga, photographer and everyone else involved try to wash their hands of the project THEY ALL approved. Wow, just wow.
And unfortunately still so much child exploitation in the fashion industry as a whole with its use of child labour in various developing countries.
@@kayelle8005 Not forgetting that there are exploitative parents out there too. Trust me, we had a production company and made commercials for 9 years. It never ceased to amaze me just what some parents would do to get their little darlings on camera...ultimately and often, for their own gain. It is a very hard one to stamp out but nonetheless sickening to observe. I aplaude Justine for addressing this in such a professional manner. Kudos!🙏
I think it’s all PR stunt.
yes, and they hired that sick photographer. I think he's a child pornographer who passed himself off as a professional photographer and Kering, being of the same ilk, buys in to it.
It's called damage control. Standard procedure and now being employed by your corrupt politicians who are ratting on their colleagues, as I write this. Electric guillotines that were created for us, will be used on them. And there internment camps and all of those coffins stored on farmland just outside major cities all across the USA. All of it will be used for them. The cult members. The Luciferian Cult members. We have entered the 300 year transition into Saatya Yuga. All darkness will be exposed to the light. These are recurring cycles......
My personal opinion is that Balenciaga took being edgy to an extreme. To me the runway looked a lot like using refugees issue to draw attention to the show. However, IMHO they knew exactly what they were doing, just did not expect such a backlash. And do not get me started on children, that is beyond any line of normality.
I don’t agree with you. I think it a trend what been going on in the last couple of years in western countries. With is the establishment trying to normalise this.
The kids and items make me think about human trafficking or exploitation. Very "edgy". Not sure if the parents were informed what their kids would be posed as. And the kids are too young to consent in that.
I agree. When I first saw the photos I thought it was some weird campaign They did to raise awareness for a organisation/charity who worked against trafficking/sexual abuse. Then I found out They Are doing this to sell their own products , like Wtf!?! Did no one, involved in creating this, see how sick and disgusting the insinuations in those ads were!? Like wtf 🫠🫠🫠
@@beegreentoday maybe we need to take a look at these charities that are supposedly fighting against trafficking then. It would be perfect for them if those that are supposed to stop it are actually helping them do it.... sick to think of.... but with people as powerful and rich as these are.... it is not impossible and I unfortunately think could be very likely.
I think the backlash was part of the campaign as well to them
And the fact that there are decent companies in the fashion industry means it’s possible - what happened at Balenciaga doesn’t necessarily come with the territory. So there is no excuse really to not meet standards if basic human decency just because you’re a fashion brand. Thank you Justine, great video! Love your background knowledge on the whole context. ♥️
I work as a corporate accountant and I don’t even need to work in the Fashion Industry to become fully aware how tedious it takes and several levels of approval it needs before a work-order/or advertising expense like this gets paid and finalized.
I’m pretty sure before an Advertising concept gets finalized, there’s been a series of back and fort communication between Balengiaca Marketing Team and their vendors (3rd party team)for this project. And before everything takes place, the expense or budget has to be pre-approved by corporate heads.
I agree that plenty of people are involved.
I fully agree. Even the Board would have seen a sample of the campaign photos and themes. All levels in Balenciaga are culpable.
@@drubee7793 Yes!
Wow, I really appreciate your breakdown of this issue. Yours is the best explanation I've heard about how this whole process works. As someone with no knowledge of the fashion industry workings, I really appreciate the time you took to make this. I find it very disturbing, as an American, how the elites and "role models" in Hollywood and fashion have been eerily quiet on the issue. Children are to be protected and not used as props in some disturbing campaign. But with that said, I agree that not every fashion brand should be blamed with propagating this message.
I think most people would be shocked, if not in complete denial, about how widespread this type of behaviour is in Hollywood, the music industry, fashion, gaming, and politics. Society is run by evil. Take the narrow path, folks.
Exactly. The Bible talks about this clearly.
@@Kiki-fe2le Churches also enabled and covered up child sexual abuse.
@@vg7735 The wrong actions do not come from the church, the bible is against all sin. Those who did it from the church are accountable for their actions and they did it out of their own violition.
@@JustHereToHear and then the church worked together to cover it up and transfer them to new towns instead of punishing them so they could do it again... ALL power corrupts, even the power inherent in becoming THE world religion. Religions are not immune to evil on the basis of being religions. Open your eyes! You can't trust ANY institutions inherently. Hold everyone and every org accountable.
Only evil churches cover up sexual abuse that has nothing to do with the Bible though. Organized religion can be corrupt but just remember there are also churches out there doing food drives for the poor and doing good things. Anything evil is the work of the devil not the work of god
It is scary to realize how many individual people had to approve of these things and not having the moral compass to see it is not ok
Oh gosh, Justine, this was one of my favorite videos of yours ever. So thoughtful, kind, deep, and compassionate. At the same time so clear, and intelligently presented. If someone didn't follow you this far, this should do it. You're the opposite of superficial. Thank you for being you.
Thank you for using your platform to bring light to the disgusting campaigns that this fashion house has been pushing on the public. Art doesn’t always have to be disturbing and evil. I commend you for standing against the idea of exploitation of children. 👏👏👏👏
This happens way more than people realize and it's starting to come out.
What do you mean by "this"?
It is no secret that pedophilia has gone on for centuries, and continues to be prevalent. It’s an unsavoury subject, so people rarely want to talk about it. Perhaps this recent error will be the start of shedding greater light on the issue, reminiscent of the ‘me, too’ movement.
Yes, I am just beginning to realize how sick and depraved many of the wealthy elites are.
Yup. It's called 'normalizing.'
Wakey-wakey.
@@user-no2mz9hl4f I fervently hope so. That has been my exact hope for a while, now. I want a KidsTOO movement to start. The only problem is that kids would find it so hard to speak about it as, according to horrific statistics, they are predominantly preyed upon by male family members and friends of the family.
It is beyond my undestanding why there's people who pay fortunes for the garbage produced by "high-end" brands. Price do NOT determine quality or beauty.
Thank you for this video. One thing you didn’t directly address that I find the most shocking, is that child models would legally have to have a guardian on set whose entire role is to support them and look out for their safety and well-being. What in the $&@# were those adults doing?! This isn’t even one adult with poor judgement - there was almost certainly more than one guardian, as there are multiple child models in the campaign and the guardian is generally the child’s parent. My mind is blown.
Yes, but those parents or guardians got paid a lot of $$$$$. You tell me what the priority was.
Poor Kanye. Now I’m understanding his plights.
My daughter has done some promotional shoots. ( Not for that company I hasten to add) But either I can go as her chaperone. Or a chaperone who has had DBS safeguarding checks accompanied her. usually if there's more than one child on set.
Yes!! Agree with the child guardian on set allowing it all to happen for the money they were being paid.....
The parents were higher up staff of the brand...Says it all...
This made me feel sick to my stomach. Thank you Justine for your bravery speaking out and your eloquent, informed, clear speaking style.
Thank you Justine. I've taken a reluctant look at Balenciaga's attempt at 'shockvertising' and believe these were very deliberate decisions. It is much worse than I imagined. The chief officers of the company - Demna Gvasalia, Cédric Charbit (CEO), Martina Tiefenthaler (Chief Creative Officer) and Ludivine Pont (Chief Marketing Officer) need to carry responsibility for this, and not redirect blame to any of their project team. I think they should be prosecuted and removed from the company, if it survives at all. Some celebrities who are fronting the brand, such as Nicole Kidman, have not said a dickie bird.
Nicole Kidmans father was heavily into satanism. She’s a part of it.
THe chief officersa are into that stuff and just trying to spread their sickness
They are satan8c..it goes waaay deeper that the pics you see...
I understand Justine's point about the legal ramifications. But this is so egregious if I were Nicole Kidman I would just have to speak out and to hell with the consequences! I don't believe any court would hold her to a contract that had neglected to mention the campaign she was fronting would feature p*dophilia.😱
@@starstar6777and she is promoting eating bugs !
It’s crazy how much work goes into something like this
Why the People do these sinful things? It's horrible and also the future, if we do not recent...what is the human like? Oh, God..
I'm so happy you spoke about this. This industry's obsession with children is disgusting. Almost nobody's mentioning the Creative Director Demna Gvasalia. He needs to be replaced with someone who knows how to stay loyal to that brand's legacy. If it ever recovers (hopefully not).
The elite's obsession with children and one political party specifically as well...absolutely disgusting!
The reply has been shadow banned.
I was not aware of these events until I watched this video. It makes me sick. Thank you for posting and for taking a strong stand against any sort of normalizing sexual abuse of children.
Why does this even surprise you Balenciaga.. it's hidden in plain sight. Ba'al Enci Aga... In Latin is means Ba'al is King.
Don't bury your head in the sand.
Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like suggestive photos of children, right? 🙄 Thanks for this in-depth look at this issue, it was really informative, especially regarding why some celebrities might be quieter than we'd expect.
When i did the same work in fashion, parents were briefed before the photo shoot, and were present on set with thier child. None of the parents protesting using thier children in this matter? Are you kidding me?
As always, Justine, you manage to spark new connections in my brain (🤯) with your meticulous research AND renew my faith in humanity with your heartfelt delivery. ❤️ Grateful for you!
I don't know about what humanity are you talking about when 10% of humanity are starving, while the others are spending huge effort, energy, and money on what they will wear and or gonna be trendy tomorrow
yes thank you so much Justine
Evil staring everyone in the face. Don't look away. Thank you for speaking up and explaining this, Justine.
That’s right. First step to eradicating evil is to put the spotlight on it and expose it, then it is our duty to respond.
Very obviously improper, to say the least! Questionable to have a child model, or any model! Really?
Dear Justine,
I love your channel. I have been following you for years. So, I’m going to respond to your question, "Did they mean this to happen?" since it is a ‘hot button’ issue for me.
HUNDREDS of people were involved in this campaign - from the ad agency, to the PR firm and in-house ad and PR staff, to the Balenciaga legal team. For instance, it takes a team of several hundred people just to create the little products in the giveaway bag and get the giveaways organised. Extrapolate that for the entire campaign.
They absolutely, completely 100% "knew" about it. Nothing that represents the brand so directly goes out to the public without being approved by some very Big Shots within the company. There was a brief moment in the late 70s when popular celebrities who were themselves addicted to cocaine advocated introducing cocaine to children. That got shut down pretty quickly. My guess is that there is some big shot at Balenciaga that is into child porn and BDSM and therefore sees it as "controversial" and "interesting" instead of "horrific" and "repugnant."
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” Edmund Burke. We must work together to shut down this "fashion trope" as quickly as possible.
I now protest publicly on every forum available to me.
Second, while I do not generally endorse "cancel culture," wearing Balenciaga should be as socially unacceptable as wearing a baby-seal-skin coat to a vegan wedding.
Finally, boycott Balenciaga. This brand will only pay attention if they feel it in their pocketbook. Furthermore, if a brand as unassailable as Balenciaga suffers financially, no other fashion house will try sexually exploiting children for publicity.
Fashion is supposed to be light-hearted self-expression; an exercise in beauty and novelty. It should not be a bully pulpit for glamorizing the cruel sexual exploitation of children!
Sincerely,
Linda C Grace
Very very well said. It’s becoming apparent to me that women are going to have to be the leaders on protecting children as faint aspects of paedophilia try to rise up in all quarters of society. We probably assumed men would protect us, but this one is down to us. We need powerful vocal women to start using their influence to delete certain brands from the face of the planet.
@@ec1222 Brava! I alone can't do anything, you alone can't do anything, but WE can change the world!
Very well said
Thank you Justine. I worked with a fashion photographer just after college. She had very little input comparative to the art director and marketing team and this was working with local brands. Can't even imagine the tight control a huge brand like Balenciaga would have. I already pity the scapegoat whoever it may be. This whole thing makes me want to vomit. It is so horribly wrong on such a deep level.
Greetings Justine: given your clarification of how nothing goes into these marketing shoots by accident I took a look at the Supreme Court decision referenced on the attorney's desk. Could it be that the document on the lawyers desk refers to pictures of children discussed in the first part? I reviewed the synopsis of the case and boy does it send a clear message! It says that even if speech is associated with or linked to the kind of porn that appeared in the first campaign involving children, it cannot be suppressed if it is not itself that kind of porn.....I'm a psychoanalyst and forensic psychiatrist. Your concern is entirely warranted in my view. It seems as though they are telling those of us concerned about the portrayal of children for sexual purposes to F....k off. My response: this attitude is not aligned with the ethics of good decent people working in fashion. No remorse just legal citations.....I believe WE HAVE TO CANCEL - NOW....Thanks for your work
My question is: where were the parents? What kind of parents approuve exploitation of that level???
Agree. And note that the kids’ faces are blurred in this video, but not in the actual campaign. I don’t get it…
I don't know for sure, but from what I've read, the parents were people involved in the campaign - people who work for Balenciaga. I can't remember where I saw that, so don't take it at face value, but it would make sense if it's true.
@@jd-no7rw if that is true it makes their childrens' participation even worse because the parents knew what the concept was about. Just my opinion, of course.
Well, I have a feeling parents didn’t understand the photo ! Like they were unaware what’s going on ! They only thought it would be a Normal kid photo shoot
@@jd-no7rw This is utter bullcrap, in my opinion. I've also read something of the kind, but if this were the case Balenciaga would have brought proof, and they haven't. This was done through a modelling agency.
This is literally the best breakdown of a situation that I have seen/read all year for ANY SUBJECT. What you say makes what happened all the more worse. With this Balenciaga debacle and those poor models breaking their ankles at that Valentino runway, fashion houses look like absolute monsters right now. Thank you so much, now delving into your capsule wardrobe series!
This has been going on for a long long time. Look up Terry Richardson and the kind of images he takes especially in his personal studio. Girls locked in suitcases, naked barely legal looking with kittens, he also had this disgusting photoshoot where he goes this thing called tampon tea. There was even a documentary that that American model did where the one girl says she was sexually abused by him and the fashion industry praised him for years.
It’s mind blowing that not one single person stepped back and said NO. This like many other questionable campaigns just proves that people only care about themselves, being associated with the brand and making money.
There is an agenda that subliminally they want to force upon us. They have been doing this for eons. However, the sleepers are awakening. Arrogance got the better of them. Simple blind arrogance.
I need to say thank you! Finally, I see someone in mainstream social media that stands up to this! Balenciaga has crossed the line with their campaign and it’s outrageous that nobody in the stops them for doing it, so thank you!!!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I have followed this very discusting story, as many people have. It seems like quite a few of these affluent people believe there are no limitations for them. They must feel that they can do whatever they please because their money protects them from consequences or prosecution. I sincerely hope they are boycotted. Hit them where it hurts, in their pocket books!
Thank you for your thoughts on this subject. It is a disgrace. But balenciaga have been having a laugh at the general public for a long time.. their products are more and more ridiculous, and it is time that they become accountable.
NOBODY was fired nor will be. BOYCOTT that brand.
I couldn't believe it. I've even gone off their perfumes! They crossed a line.
They crossed the line so much that the line is dot to them now
The Balenciaga brand is currently owned by the French corporation Kering. It owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent. The owner of the parent company is Francois Henri Pineault, French Billionaire married to actress Salma Hayek.
Wow! I hope Salma is livid!
👍💪
Salma Hayek is another greedy , arrogant Woman in Hollywood and must be boycotted including Kim K and Nicole Kidman and many more
I'm saddened that Alexander McQueen Brand is in any way linked to this situation.
All obviously in the club
Excellent overview of this heinous situation. Balenciaga appears to condone child pornography as an advertising option. I am disgusted. As they say the"barn door"is already open, so it's to late recover the loss.
Arrogance and false denials won't work. Goodbye Balenciaga.
Thank you for posting this.
Today news have been posted on Instagram claiming Balenciaga will be showing a new collection in Paris Fashion Week on March 5, 2023!!!!
But the worse is they are still with THE SAME CREATIVE DIRECTOR DEMNA GVESALIA 😱😠😡!!!!!!!!… And I suppose the same team that has worked with him during the extremely disturbing things that happened last year!!!!
so it’s business as usual????!!!! Wtf😢
Thank you for explaining the campaign process, they can't get away that easily.
I don’t think this was for “attention” or “controversy” so they could just sell their items. I think it was a highly calculated move done by the top level people. Demna (head designer) and Lotta Volkova (works at Balenciaga) have both admitted to “growing up on” CP. And Lotta Volkova has been linked to Epstein. I personally think they enjoy this type of nastiness and based on their own admission and they thought it would be funny to add these undertones in. I think they also thought it would be edgy to normalize it. I highly suggest you google both and do research on that. Additionally, Volkova has scrubbed her insta but it used to have sick pictures of children and violence.
Anyway thanks for your video and relating it to your own experience. While I despise this whole situation and connected parties I do feel bad for the Balenciaga name as Cristobal Balenciaga has nothing to do with this and was a great designer.
Do you have any sources for this stuff?
Edit: I've seen Lotta's Instagram photos and seen the locked account myself so I can confirm she is absolutely obsessed with imagery of child abuse. She also has sexual imagery with teddy bears in the photos she's since deleted so yeah this was absolutely intentional and even though she's no longer working with Balenciaga is no coincidence to me. They're clearly all connected to each other and think the same/ influence each other.
@@Sarah-mc7fs exactly.
I hadn’t heard of the brand until the controversy, not that I could afford or want their styles. I clicked on your video randomly. You explained everything very well. The campaigns to exploit children and making them sexualized is so pervasive and it’s disgusting. Thank you for you perspective and your knowledge. I agree with you totally.
Their plan: "Be shocking", worked.
Thank you for taking the time to explain this so clearly & provide your knowledgeable insight to make sense of this situation. It really helped me understand the depth of the situation involved in this scandal & it's made me stop to question my value for these products. It's gone well beyond edgy & avant-garde. What they've done is outrageous & unacceptable.