In the past couple of months, Balenciaga has gone from buzz-worthy to being bad-mouthed, so every little move the fashion house makes tends to make it to the headlines. This is in part due to Balenciaga laying low since the release of its holiday gifting campaign in November. It featured children photographed alongside teddy bear-shaped purses in leather straps and harnesses that some perceived as BDSM gear, and whilst exploiting minors was the major issue, Balenciaga’s second campaign solidified the damage.
However, the French fashion house is slowly making its return following its confirmation to show at Paris Fashion Week. Now, it has announced a three-year partnership with the National Children’s Alliance (NCA) alongside the Kering Foundation.
The announcement was made on Balenciaga’s Instagram account and makes the following promises that during the three-year program, they will focus on the following pillars:
• Support National Children Alliance Mental Health Institute in helping children heal from trauma by facilitating a significant increase in access to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Training (TF-CBT).
• Provide education for Balenciaga about child protection and actions adults can take to promote the safety and well-being of children.
• Raise public awareness of child abuse and child protection and promote a happy, healthy childhood.
“We were confronted with the reality and magnitude of childhood trauma during our listening tour where we engaged with several leading organizations and experts in the field of childhood trauma,” says Cédric Charbit, President and Chief Executive Officer of Balenciaga. “Collectively, at Balenciaga we have listened and learned a lot through this experience, and we wanted to help, have a positive and lasting impact on children and their future who needed support but lacked access. We are grateful to support the work of NCA.”
The partnership will also support NCA’s newly launched Mental Health Institute to help children heal from trauma, which was introduced only in 2022.
To learn more about the partnership, head to Balenciaga.com.
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