When Fashion Goes Too Far
Behind the glamour, luxury and iconic designs, some of fashion’s biggest names have also faced serious controversies. But when a brand is powerful enough, does a scandal really hurt?
Despite the scandal, Balenciaga did not disappear. The brand remained part of the luxury group Kering and continued producing collections and working with celebrities. In 2025, however, there was a major change: Demna left Balenciaga after a decade and became Gucci’s creative director. Pierpaolo Piccioli then became Balenciaga’s new creative director.
Today, Balenciaga is trying to enter a new era, with Piccioli bringing a more refined and couture-focused vision. His 2026 collections have emphasized craftsmanship and the heritage of Cristóbal Balenciaga.
This raises an important question for Fashion Madness: if a brand can survive one of fashion’s biggest scandals and simply reinvent itself, how much does money and influence protect it from its mistakes?
Balenciaga: When Fashion Goes Too Far...
In 2022, Balenciaga faced a major controversy after releasing an advertising campaign featuring children holding teddy bear bags dressed in bondage-inspired accessories. The images were widely criticized as inappropriate because they placed children in a sexualized context.The campaign was removed, and Balenciaga apologized, saying it took responsibility for the mistake. The controversy caused serious damage to the brand’s image and sparked a debate about how far fashion can go in the name of creativity and shock value.However, Balenciaga remained a major luxury brand. This raises an important question: when a company has enough money, fame, and influence, can it recover from almost any scandal?
