Controversy is what it is. Firstly, it's high fashion - they're always courting controversy, but secondly, what exactly do people think is happening when they see some ruling about child porn in a photoshoot? I'm sure Tucker Carlson will run and run with this (and unfortunately there are unhinged people who genuinely think there's a pedo sex cult around every corner), but this is just your bargain basement shock chasing. We didn't accidentally stumble across some candid image of someone at Balenciaga revealing some inner thought, it's a deliberately provocative campaign the same way a dozen other campaigns have been, the only people who benefit from this are outrage merchants and Balenciaga. It's certainly a dangerous game to be playing at the moment though.
Even if they were shock chasing, it's just a really fucked up thing to do (and those are the mildest terms I can put it in). There are plenty of ads I see where I go "well they took it a little far but I can understand what they are trying to do". Making references to CP in photoshoot with children going many many many steps beyond just "shock chasing".
