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British fashion powerhouse Paul Smith has not explained why his brand continued to operate in Russia, despite facing a furious backlash from parliamentarians and his customers.
The Daily Mail revealed on Saturday that three British luxury companies were still doing business with Russia as the bloody war in Ukraine continued.
Paul Smith and lingerie brand Agent Provocateur still have stores open in Moscow, while Rolls-Royce has new cars for sale in the country, but says he doesn’t know how they got there.
Walking into his £7.5m London home on Saturday, fashion designer Sir Paul Smith said he “didn’t really know anything about it”.
Paul Smith pictured at the weekend at his £7.5m London rig where he said he “didn’t really know” his brand would continue to operate in Russia.
The 76-year-old received a CBE in 1994, was knighted in 2000 and made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honor in 2020 for services to fashion.
But his company has repeatedly refused to explain its continued presence in Russia.
The Moral Rating Agency, a lobby group that judges companies on their response to the invasion of Ukraine, said: “Unless Russia is stripped of Paul Smith’s shirts, Paul Smith should be stripped of his knighthood.” . It is a simple moral equation. There are no honors for dishonor.
The chairman of the Commons defense committee, Tobias Ellwood MP, claimed that by refusing to recall their products, the brands were not resisting Russian aggression.
A Paul Smith store in Moscow, Russia, where it was revealed along with lingerie brand Agent Provocateur that they still have stores open in Moscow.
He said: “Putin’s fate will ultimately be determined, not by results on the battlefield, but by the tolerance of the Russian people who are seeing their own standard of living deteriorate as Russia is increasingly isolated. But this only works if the West is united.
“When we see companies (brands at that) failing to join the collective effort to stand up to Russia’s aggression, it plays squarely into Putin’s argument that the West is not engaged and that Russia will prevail.”
Meanwhile, former culture secretary Sir John Whittingdale said it was “a matter of great concern” that brands still traded with Russia, explaining: “Most British companies moved quickly to show that the horror and barbarism of what Putin is doing is unacceptable.” Empty shelves send a very powerful message. I am very concerned about this and I hope these companies will think again.’
The firms were accused of making ‘blood money’ online when hundreds flooded their social media pages with criticism. One wrote under a Paul Smith ad for a new coat: ‘That’s beautiful! How many Ukrainian lives does it cost?
Others claimed they were boycotting the brand, with one user commenting on the coat: “It will look good in Moscow…enjoy the blood money…” On Sunday, an hour after tweeting photos from a runway in Paris, someone asked ‘Are you also Are you going to start printing Russian flags on your products?’
A closer look at some of the items you can buy inside Paul Smith’s Moscow store
Meanwhile, one user accused Agent Provocateur of selling “genocide lingerie,” while another wrote, “They look fantastic on top of a pile of dead Ukrainian kids… wait.” Do the right thing.’
Beneath a photo of red underwear, one person tweeted: “Does the red dye come from Ukrainian blood?”
Rolls-Royce has five new cars for sale in Moscow, but stated: “All new cars currently for sale in Russia were built and delivered before March 2022, when Rolls-Royce stopped making cars for the Russian market, or have been imported into Russia illegally by third parties.’
Paul Smith, Rolls-Royce and Agent Provocateur do not directly run the stores in Moscow, which are instead run by franchisees or licensees under terms agreed to before the invasion of Ukraine, but manufacture the stock that is sold. The companies have been contacted for comment.
