FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show Balenciaga Designer Lotta Volkova?

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A screenshot of a tweet shared on Facebook purports to show an image of Balenciaga designer Lotta Volkova wearing a red outfit and carrying two red dolls.

Verdict: False

The original photo, which has been published on Getty Images, shows a woman modeling designs from the Sheguang Hu Collection in Beijing, China in 2016. The image has nothing to do with Balenciaga.

Fact Check:

Balenciaga featured two children holding bears wearing bondage gear in a recent ad campaign, according to the New York Post. The company said it condemns “abuse of children in any form” following major online backlash around the campaign, CBS News reported.

The screenshot of the tweet allegedly shows Balenciaga designer Volkova wearing a red outfit and carrying two red dolls. “Here is Lotta Volkova, a top designer for Balenciaga and Adidas,” the tweet reads. (RELATED: Does This Image Show Brazil’s President-Elect Holding A Satanic Statue?)

The claim is false. The original photo, which has been published on Getty Images, shows a woman modeling designs from the Sheguang Hu Collection in Beijing, China in 2016. The image’s caption indicates the woman modeled the designs as part of Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2016/2017.

There are no credible news reports suggesting Volkova is the woman in the photo wearing red and carrying two red dolls. Likewise, Balenciaga has not mentioned the purported claim on its website or verified social media accounts.

Balenciaga did respond to criticism over its controversial ad campaign, calling the decision to use children to promote the collection a “wrong choice” in an Instagram statement.

 

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A post shared by Balenciaga 🕊 (@balenciaga)

“Our plush bear bags and the gift collection should not have been featured with children,” the statement read. “This was a wrong choice by Balenciaga, combined with our failure in assessing and validating images.”

Check Your Fact has contacted Balenciaga for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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