Fashion companies and industry professionals alike are responding to the invasion of and ongoingwarin Ukraine, many opting to suspend their business in Russia.
On March 1, Vogue Ukraine — which is owned
and operated by Media Group Ukraine, and licenses the name and branding from Condé Nast International — posted a call to the luxury fashion and beauty industry, asking them to place an embargo on exporting their goods to Russia. It specifically named and tagged LVMH, Kering, Richemont, Prada Group, Swatch Group, Puig, Chanel, Hermès, Dolce & Gabbana, Max Mara, Burberry, Valentino, Versace, Hugo Boss, Calzedonia and Shisheido in its caption.
"In the wake of unprecedented military aggression from the Russian Federation and the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, Vogue UA urges all international fashion and luxury conglomerates and companies to cease any collaborations on the aggressor's market effective immediately," the publication wrote. "These measures should apply to the brands and other entities that produce and also distribute and sell fashion goods, accessories, fine jewelry and watches, luxury lifestyle products in the Russian market. Showing your conscience and choosing humanity over monetary benefits is the only reasonable stand one can take in confronting the violent behavior of Russia. Moreover, Vogue UA appeals to the global fashion industry to not keep silence during these dark times as it has the strongest voice. Vogue UA encourages its partners and colleagues to join this call for action."
The U.S. government has imposed new sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. FedEx and UPS halted delivery services in both Ukraine and Russia, as did DHL.
Within the fashion industry, some brands have pledged to support and amplify organizationshelping folks on the ground in Ukraine and on the Polish border. Ukrainian designers such as Svitlana Bevza of Bevza, Vita Kin and Anna October have shared personal, harrowing accounts in an effort to bring attention to the conflict. 1Granary founder Olya Kuryshchuk is collecting signatures on a letter that asks "fashion businesses and their leaders to stand together with Ukraine and strongly condemn Russia's invasion."
Renzo Rosso's the OTB Foundation — the non-profit arm of the fashion conglomerate of the same name, which owns Diesel, Maison Margiela, Marni, Viktor & Rolf, Jil Sander and Amiri — and the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNDM) are working with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to help displaced Ukrainians. Kering pledged a "significant donation" to the UNHCR, though the company wouldn't disclose an exact amount; Balenciaga, one of its brands, is dedicating its social platforms to sharing updates on the situation, and made a donation to the UN's World Food Programme.
In an interview with Christina Binkley for Vogue Business, the team at luxury retailer Tsum Kyiv, want their industry partners to take a stronger stance, particularly when it comes to business dealings with Russia.
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"Paris Fashion Week is going on, but in Europe there is a real war going on," said Marusya Koval, Tsum Kyiv's marketing director who, according to Binkley, is now in Poland. "The fashion industry needs to stand up. Stop trading — stop supplying Russia. Stop your relationships with Russia."
We're following how fashion brands are responding to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, focusing on companies that have suspended business in Russia, either because of issues within the supply chain or because of ethical concerns. We will continue to update this post with any developments.
Adidas
Following similar announcements from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Adidas said on Tuesday that it had paused its partnership with the Russian Football Union, in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Nanushka
Hungary-based Nanushka is cutting financial ties to Russia, CEO Pèter Baldaszti told Vogue Business on Tuesday, pledging that the brand won't sign new deals with wholesale partners, won't fulfill any outstanding orders and won't make deliveries in the country. "We have respect for the Russian people and our partners. We know this is not their decision, but it is impossible to do business with Russia based on our moral values," he said. "This is a significant financial decision for Nanushka, and we are hoping for a quick solution so we can rebuild those relationships."
Nanushka, which is owned by Vanguards Group, also displayed a written acknowledgement to the ongoing conflict and had a string quartet perform the Ukrainian national anthem at its Paris Fashion Week presentation. The models' makeup nodded to the colors of the country's flag, too.
Nike
According to its Russian website, Nike paused online sales in the country because it "cannot guarantee delivery of goods to customers," instead directing shoppers to brick-and-mortar locations, Quartz reports.
Yoox Net-a-Porter
Yoox Net-a-Porter posted a statement to its Russian websites announcing it wouldn't ship orders to Russia. "Due to the current situation, we are unable to complete any new orders in your country. All order fulfillment has been suspended until further notice," it read, per Business of Fashion. Yoox Net-a-Porter is owned by Richemont.
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