New Delhi: Celebrity fashion designer Manish Malhotra celebrated his 56th birthday on Monday and hosted a party at his residence. Many Bollywood celebrities including Gauri Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Raveena Tandon, Kriti Sanon, Rekha, Karisma Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty, and others attended the event. As expected, all the celebs had aced their fashion game for the bash. Malaika Arora, who attended the party wearing a dress from Balenciaga, was slammed for her sartorial choice.
The actress wore a shimmery silver dress from Balenciaga and paired it with thigh-high black boots. She kept her hair open and carried a black bag. Netizens were not happy with her choice and called her “disgusting” and “shameful” for supporting a brand which has been accused of promoting child abuse in a recent ad campaign.
A user wrote, “She literally could not have picked any other designer to wear?! Absolutely shameful. Yet another reason not to look at celebs as role models…”
“Wearing Balenciaga??? Really ?? I am totally against cancel culture but not when it comes to child pornography . This brand needs to be cancelled for good and a celebrity, you need to do it first,” commented another user.
Another user said, “Malaika supporting the pedophile brand as if she thinks everyone in India are illiterate or something. Does she think people don’t watch news or she herself doesn’t? Or is it just another way to be controversial?” “I’m shocked to see this lady in Balenciaga… very shameful… very insensitive!” Another one commented, “Are you dumb or just stupid for supporting that brand,” tweeted another.
Balenciaga’s recent Christmas 2022 and spring 2023 advertisements came under fire featuring children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage accessories. After severe criticism, the brand issued an apology for the ad campaigns and also sued the producers of one. It has also filed a lawsuit for $25 million in damages against set designer Nicholas Des Jardins and the production company North Six.
According to the filing, Balenciaga alleges that North Six and Des Jardins included the court documents’ photographs without consulting the brand, which was “malevolent or, at the very least, extraordinarily reckless.”