Balenciaga Displays Restraint in First Fashion Show Since Child Ad Backlash

Balenciaga, led by Creative designer Demna, put on a toned-down fashion show in a bid to turn the page on consumer outrage that engulfed the brand over its portrayal of children in its ads.

March 6, 2023 . 8:49 AM

1 min read

Balenciaga's Creative designer, Demna, put on a show that was more subdued than recent spectacles.
Models wore clothes without logos, some designs leaning on the archives of the brand’s founder, Cristóbal Balenciaga.
The brand faced a tsunami of criticism over two ad campaigns that led to protests at a number of its stores and hurt sales heading into the holiday season.
Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault is betting that he can retool Balenciaga's approach with the current team in place.
The show contained flourishes that the fashion world has come to expect from the designer.