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Several Russian influencers and socialites claim that they are not allowed to buy Chanel goods.
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An influencer accused the fashion house of “Russophobia” for not allowing her to shop at an outlet in Dubai.
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Another socialite said some Russian shoppers have been able to pull the strings to get hold of luxury goods.
Several Russian influencers and socialites have claimed that they are not allowed to purchase Chanel items and were told that it was the brand’s policy not to sell its products to Russian customers.
Anna Kalashnikova, a Russian socialite and influencer, posted on her Instagram on Sunday accusing Chanel of “Russophobia in action”. She claimed she couldn’t buy a pair of earrings and a bag at a Chanel outlet in Dubai.
“Since I often come to Dubai for Fashion Week, Chanel executives recognized me, approached me and said, ‘We know you’re a celebrity in Russia, we know you’ll be making your purchases there, so we can’t give you our brand. sell items,” Kalashnikova said in her post.
She said the experience reminded her of “Coco Chanel was not only a Nazi mistress” but also that she was a fascist agent.
“The actions of her legacy, her brand make you think about Coco Chanel’s biography. Supporting fascism and Russophobia is so low,” Kalashnikova said.
Meanwhile, Russian interior designer and influencer Liza Litvin posted an Instagram story — seen by Fortune and the Daily Mail — describing her similar experience of being banned from buying Chanel items in Dubai.
In the post, Litvin claimed she had to sign a document at a Chanel outlet stating that she did not live in Russia and that she would not carry the bag on Russian soil.
“I went to a Chanel boutique in the Mall of the Emirates. They didn’t sell me the bag because (note!) I’m from Russia!” Litvin wrote in the post, per Fortune.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian socialite Snezhanna Georgieva said some Russian shoppers have managed to find back doors to negotiate the purchase of Chanel items, according to The New York Post.
“I’ll be thrilled when these brands are back,” Georgieva said. “But we know of a few boutiques that are still open when a regular customer calls them.”
Chanel representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. However, the brand’s policies appear to be consistent with a European Union ban on luxury goods exports to Russia in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
On Friday, pro-Kremlin tabloid Pravda refuted Chanel’s stance of Maria Zakharova, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, who accused the brand of supporting Nazism by not selling products to Russian customers.
“We just opened a closet from which 80-year-old skeletons that had not yet decayed fell out,” Zakharova said in a statement to Chanel. “We are a very patient and forgiving country. We have forgiven everyone, we have turned the page and made way for the future. But if this road is a bypass, we will break this vicious circle.”
Vogue Business reported on March 4 that luxury stores in Russia saw a threefold increase in shoppers’ numbers, with people “trying to buy as much as they can while they can still afford it.” A few days later, luxury brands such as Burberry, Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Kering announced the temporary closure of their stores in Russia.
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