The Devil Wears Balenciaga
February 15, 2023
Unravel the Conspiracy behind Conspiracies
If you've been on TikTok, Twitter, Reddit, or Instagram in the past few months, you've probably seen people freaking out about the luxury fashion brand Balenciaga and their supposed involvement in claims of child sexualisation, even linking to a paedophile ring scandal. Conspiracy theorists have been quick to spread baseless accusations against the brand and its creative director, Demna Gvasalia, and have even dredged up old QAnon conspiracy theories, like the debunked "Pizzagate" scandal from 2018.
Influencers have been jumping on the bandwagon, sharing "easter eggs" (unproven or speculative clues) they claim to have found in Balenciaga campaigns and the work of its collaborators and celebrity faces; like Kim Kardashian. Some have even gone as far as to destroy Balenciaga clothing and spread disinformation, hurling hate and threats at anyone associated with the brand.
We tracked some of the discussions taking place across the open-source spaces of the internet, and looked at how old narratives from QAnon believers were being intertwined with one person’s claim that Balenciaga are at the center of a powerful elite sensitising the masses to child sex.
An unfolding dumpster fire
It all started with a post on November 21st on Twitter stating that the Balenciaga brand was exploiting children and were advocating for child porn. A post, combining images from two recent controversial Balenciaga campaigns, claimed they were purposefully positioning children and child pornography. The post went viral, with thousands of comments, many of them filled with hateful language and baseless accusations.
In response, Balenciaga removed the campaign images from its social media channels and issued apologies on 24 November. On 25 November they filed a lawsuit against the North Six, Inc and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins for using unapproved props in the shoots, but these charges were dropped after it emerged that the documents were obtained randomly through a prop house used for photo and video shoots and were not intentional.
News media also picked up the story, further amplifying the attention it received. Notably Tucker Carlson Tonight, a television news and talk show hosted by Tucker Carlson that airs on Fox News. Tucker Carlson, known for his conservative political views and providing a platform for conspiracy theories, was predictably the tinder to the fire. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian were forced to distance themselves from the brand.
The Conspiracies and dominant narratives
One of the props that has received a lot of attention is the white rabbit from the "Gift Shop" campaign, which some people believe is a coded reference to Lewis Carol and "Alice in Wonderland." Others have pointed to the white rabbit as a symbol of the "red pill" movement, which is associated with conspiracy theories and the alt-right.
Another controversial prop is the roll of caution tape from the same campaign, which some people believe spells out "Baalenciaga" rather than "Balenciaga." This, they claim, is a reference to the deity Baal, who is associated with fertility and war in some religious traditions. Some people have even linked this to Satanism and antisemitism, claiming that the supposed pedophile cabal is Jewish.
Conspiracy theorists have also focused on the children's drawings and poses in the "Gift Shop" campaign, claiming that they contain hidden messages and codes. Similarly, the "Garde-Robe" campaign has been scrutinised for its use of legal documents and books that some people find disturbing.
Lotta Volkova, a former stylist for Balenciaga, was called out to suggest Balenciaga’s guilt, and to link her to the images produced. Volkova had not worked at Balenciaga on these campaigns, nor had she worked at the brand since 2018. Using images from her Instagram and claiming that she was obsessed with and involved in a satanic cult, users highlighted images shared by Volkova as ‘evidence’. Harassment of Volkova led her to turn off public view of her social posts.
So why should you care?
In many of the conversations, at several points, were throwback comments to the “cover up” of the "#pizzagate” conspiracy. It is not uncommon for conspiracy theories involving pedophile cabals or rings to be linked to antisemitism, as the belief in such cabals often involves the idea that certain individuals or groups are working together to advance their own interests at the expense of others. In some cases, this belief may be tied to antisemitic tropes or stereotypes, such as the idea that Jewish people are secretly controlling the world, or are involved in immoral or illegal activities. It is also seen that conspiracies are intentionally linked to other issues or causes, thereby delegitimising these issues or causes.
This kind of online conspiracy theory can have real-world consequences. In the case of "#pizzagate," it led to actual violence, and we've seen similar things happen with other conspiracy theories, like the attempted takeover of the U.S. Capitol building, anti-vaccine protests across Europe, and recent alt-right attempts to seize power in Germany.
Distribution of toxic messages by category. 09-12-2022
Online conspiracies can move offline. Protest action at, and vandalism against, Balenciaga properties has been seen. Death threats have been received by those close to the accusations, with potential for real harm.
It's important to remember that most conspiracy theories aren't true and shouldn't be taken seriously. Instead, it's better to look for reliable sources of information and to be sceptical of claims that seem too good to be true. Don't believe everything you read online, and don't be swayed by conspiracy theories that are based on guesses, speculation, or outright fabrications.
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