Internet Calls Out Malaika Arora For Donning Balenciaga Amidst Backlash For Controversial Ad Campaign
Choosing Balenciaga was not cool!
Celebrities often land up in trouble for the choices that they make in life. Be it their decision of filing for divorce, or the fashion choices they make, everything faces the judgement of fans. And the latest victim of this is Malaika Arora. The actress recently attended designer–Manish Malhotra’s star-studded birthday bash. For the glamorous affair, Arora chose to wear a glitzy Balenciaga dress. The head-to-toe, Balenciaga look featured a turtle neck, anti-fit dress, teamed with thigh-high boots, and the famous hourglass mini bag. And while most of you would not find it problematic, let us tell you where the problem lies.
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For the unversed, the brand by Spanish designer–Cristóbal Balenciaga received a platter full of hate for its latest ad campaign. Presenting its brand new holiday collection, Balenciaga featured two young girls, posing with unusual toy designs, featuring teddy bears donning bondage accessories. Alongside the kids, the pictures featured a table full of wine glasses, and a page of the US Supreme Court’s judgement on child pornography. As soon as the pictures surfaced on the website, they became a recipient of severe backlash from the internet. Many lashed out at the luxury label for sexualising kids and displaying teddy bears in bondage gear.
the brand "Balenciaga" just did a uh….. interesting… photoshoot for their new products recently which included a very purposely poorly hidden court document about 'virtual child porn'
normal stuff pic.twitter.com/zjMN5WhZ0s
— shoe (@shoe0nhead) November 21, 2022
The controversial advertisement gained so much traction from world media, that the label came out to apologise. In a message, Balenciaga apologised for funding an advertisement campaign like this and declared filing a legal complaint against the ad agency that ideated the theme of the campaign. Besides the luxury label, star–Kim Kardashian, who is known for her friendly relationship with the brand, expressed her regret and said she will rethink her collaborations with the label, in the near future. Ever since, Balenciaga lost a huge chunk of its customer base, with the internet calling out celebrities who keep a connection with the brand.
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Also Read: Twitter Is Serving Balenciaga With A Platter Full Of Hate For Ad Featuring Kids With Bondage Teddy Bear
Following this, Malaika Arora’s appearance in a Balenciaga look called for the internet’s attention. Soon, everyone on the internet opposed Malaika’s decision of still picking the brand after the controversy. While many called her sartorial pick insensitive, some others suggested Arora to rethink her collaborations with a brand, that is accused of promoting child abuse. Take a look at some of these reactions.
Meet Malaika Arora. A Bollywood celebrity flaunting her Balenciaga dress despite this brand being under fire over their child-sexual abuse advertisements.
The same Bollywood pontificates others pic.twitter.com/pIyCxnxkqm
— Monica Verma (@TrulyMonica) December 6, 2022
While celebrities are free to make their sartorial choices, we feel in a situation like this, Arora’s idea of flaunting Balenciaga was not a great idea. In times today, celebrities/popular figures hold a strong voice and power to influence their fans. And supporting a brand like Balenciaga, which is already facing serious backlash, and is unsure of its ideology, celebrities must make a wise decision to distance themselves from it. What do you think?
Image Credits: Twitter
First Published: December 07, 2022 2:07 PM
