Ana Navarro Tears Into Balenciaga on ‘The View,’ Says Brand Is Trying to “Cover” Their “A**” After Ad Controversy

The View went high fashion during Hot Topics today, debating the Balenciaga ad controversy after the French design house came under fire for photographing children holding its teddy bear bondage bags. Balenciaga has alleged in a lawsuit that production company North Six and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins are responsible for the fetish-themed campaign, but co-host Ana Navarro isn’t buying a word of it.

Navarro tore into Balenciaga on this morning’s episode, calling B.S. on the company’s claims of innocence.

“It takes hundreds of people in a fashion house like Balenciaga to approve a design, to approve an ad campaign, so I’m sorry you guys. I know you’re trying to cover your ass, but you’ve got bigger problems,” she said.

Navarro added, “You’ve got to look inside your house, because you’ve got people who are not doing their job well and who have no damn common sense.”

Sunny Hostin, who was equally incensed about the campaign, slammed the ads as “distasteful,” but said the recent designs from the brand are just as bad. She told the panel, “what’s also very distasteful is Balenciaga lately. Their stuff is just ugly.”

Hostin continued, “Do you remember when Kim K[ardashian] was dressed in Balenciaga for the Met Gala?” before comparing Kardashian’s full-body, all-black look to “a bat.”

“I don’t know what they’re doing. I don’t know if their intent is to be subversive and draw attention to the issues, or are they just making ugly things?” Hostin wondered.

Kardashian, an ambassador for Balenciaga, addressed the campaign uproar on Sunday (Nov. 27), telling her Twitter followers she plans to “reevaluate” her relationship with the company.

 

“I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened,” Kardashian wrote.

“As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images. The safety of children must be held with the highest regard, and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period,” she added.

Balenciaga has since removed the ads and apologized “for any offense” caused by the images.

The View airs weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.