Kim Kardashian is expanding her fashion ambassador empire in 2024. The reality star just got signed as the new spokeswoman for the Italian fashion house Balenciaga. Kim has supported the luxury brand for several years, except for a brief pause following a campaign scandal the house released in 2022.
Kim's first campaign and ambassador news dropped on Monday, January 22nd. For her first editorial, titled the #ClosetCampaign, she stands inside her massive bag closet, filled with rainbow-colored purses and neutral ones from Balenciaga. Dressed in an all-black one-piece with her hair down, Kim then plays a counting game, guessing the number of bags she has stored in her closet.
"My guess would be 130," she says in her Instagram video, which can be watched below. After counting, Kim revealed that the actual number in her collection was 129.
She was only one number off, which is pretty impressive.
The Closet Campaign was shot and edited by known fashion photographers Inez and Vinooh.
Kim is no stranger to when it comes to being an ambassador for fashion. After all, the fashion houses come to her. She represented Dolce and Gabbana in 2022, following Kourtney and Travis's Italian Escape wedding. While her sister wasn't thrilled with her "stealing" her wedding for the Runway, she and Kourtney settled their differences and moved on.
Now, Kim is ecstatic to be making her mark with the Balenciaga brand as she takes this next step in her career. The businesswoman/actress/media personality/aspiring lawyer has her work cut out for herself. But as she said, when taking acting lessons for her role in AHS, she likes to "challenge herself."
In a released statement, Kim gave the following quote regarding her collaboration with Balenciaga.
"For several years now, Balenciaga's designs have been a part of my many looks and some of my most iconic fashion moments," she said. "This historic fashion house embraces modernity and craftsmanship and takes an innovative approach to design under Demna . For me, this long-standing relationship is built on mutual trust and a commitment to doing what's right. I'm excited about this next chapter for the brand and to become their next ambassador."
Balenciaga and the controversial ad
In late 2022, Balenciaga released their controversial ad campaign, "The Gift Shop," which featured young children in inappropriate clothing and holding teddy bear backpacks equally costumed in racy garments. Following the backlash from many people, the company gave a press release for the damage caused and removed the photos.
"We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused," Balenciaga said on Instagram. "Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms."
Kim stated via Twitter at the time of the controversy that she was "reevaluating" her relationship with the company.