ControversyCatwalk onthe

On Nov. 16, 2022, Balenciaga posted a campaign named Gift Shop, featuring images of children holding Balenciaga handbags that looked like teddy bears in explicit outfits. Many people were outraged by the use of children in this campaign and Balenciaga was accused of condoning child exploitation.

Shortly after, on Nov. 24, Balenciaga posted the following apology on Instagram: “We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.”

Additionally, in a later statement, Balenciaga stated that they “strongly condemn abuse of children in any form [and] stand for children’s safety and wellbeing.”

Hoffman International is a modeling agency that represents local models including young children. The president and owner, Kim Hoffman, said parents would have known the specifications and guidelines of campaigns like Balenciaga’s Gift Shop before the photos were taken.

“Those children and those parents, because they’re minors, would have known what they were doing ahead of time. There were no surprises,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman elaborated on the technical aspects of the booking process.

“The runway model … [is] going to know about [details] in advance before they accept the booking. They’re not an employee, they’re an independent contractor. Because they are an independent contractor and not an employee, they are not bound to accept something that is against their religion or their personal beliefs,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman continued to explain that boundaries are communicated by her agency to represent children and tell designers what their models are or are not comfortable with in a photoshoot.

“I am the one who says that [the model] won’t do … smoking, or they won’t wear furs, or they won’t do nudes. I’m the one that controls that for them, so that the parents don’t have to be the ones to get involved,” Hoffman said. “So, [photographers or designers] know from the very beginning what the parents’ wishes are.”

Along with knowing the parents’ guidelines for their child, Hoffman said modeling agencies should have a thorough understanding of the details of photoshoots beforehand.

“Even here in Kansas City, they are very explicit [about] what the model is going to be doing, what the actor is going