When Meghan Markle arrived at Paris Fashion Week in a sculptural Balenciaga cape suit on Saturday, the effect was instant. It was a bold statement, unlike any other recent royal ensemble.
During her European getaway, she was photographed rubbing shoulders with fashion heavyweights including Anna Wintour. Yet the real question is why the Duchess of Sussex chose to make her high-fashion debut at one of the industry’s most-watched events in a label whose name still provokes its own controversial headlines.
Balenciaga, once fashion’s undisputed provocateur, has been trying to rehabilitate its image since 2022, when two advertising campaigns ignited international outrage. One featured children holding teddy bears in bondage-style outfits; another used props referencing child exploitation cases.
At the time, the brand apologised and withdrew the images – pledging to overhaul its internal processes. But the controversy has lingered, making any celebrity endorsement a statement in itself.
For Meghan, 44, whose public appearances are often parsed for meaning, the choice was striking given the rocky few years the American-founded label has endured.
She and Prince Harry have built a considerable portion of their public identity around mental health and child safety.
The Archewell Foundation, which they co-founded, has made child protection and online safety central to its mission.
They have launched campaigns calling for safer digital spaces, stricter social media safeguards, and protection for young people from the documented harms of online abuse, exploitation and anxiety.
It’s an admirable cause on paper. Yet, critics argue, their actions sometimes betray their own messaging.
Reaction online to her Balenciaga moment was immediate and polarised. Writing on X, one user shared: “For a couple who have built a considerable portion of their public identity around mental health and child safety … once again, their actions betray their own messaging.”
Another agreed and branded it a “PR stunt”, they penned: “Meghan Markle’s Balenciaga stunt at Paris Fashion Week is a blatant PR grab in an attempt to polish her fading lacklustre star in the fashion world, but her team flubbed it big time.
“Pairing her child safety advocacy with a brand notorious for its 2022 kid-in-bondage ad scandal makes her a raging hypocrite and tone-deaf false virtue. The hypocrisy of her scheme screams louder than her outfit. She’s banking on headlines, not integrity, hoping the glitz buries the backlash. Such classic Markle, always chasing clout over conscience,” they continued.
“I really wish I was stupid enough to still defend a brand that released a full toddler-bondage ad campaign that turned into a full-blown scandal and now has globally known moron Meghan Markle in attendance. Balenciaga is a known freak show,” added a third.
Yet alongside the backlash there was also praise. Fashion accounts hailed the look as “chic” and “stunning.” “I love her cape suit it is so chic,” wrote one fan. “Beautiful. She is so stunning,” agreed a second.
Others applauded her willingness to take a risk in an environment that rewards boldness. The look itself focused on Balenciaga’s signature sharp lines and monastic glamour.