Ukraine: Russian designer Valentin Yudashkin banned from Paris Fashion Week

The president of the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode announced to AFP on Sunday that Russian designer Valentin Yudashkin’s virtual show originally scheduled for Tuesday as part of Paris Fashion Week has been called off since he “did not disassociate himself” from the war waged by Russia in Ukraine. 

"Our team wanted to verify Valentin Yudashkin’s stance. If he had expressed reservations about the war in Ukraine, it would have been difficult to remove him from the program,” explained Ralph Toledano, president of the federation.

"They wanted to do an intellectually honest job to see if, like other creatives, he would disassociate himself [from the war]. That was not the case. I told them ‘You take it off immediately,'" he continued.

Yudashkin, who has been presenting his collections for years in Paris, is one of the designers of the Russian army’s new uniforms among other things. 

As for Russian fashion houses Ulyana Sergeenko and Yanina Couture and if they will remain part of the Haute Couture Week calendar, the decision will be taken by a committee that meets "every six months" to decide on entries and departures, added Ralph Toledano.

“The next committee will be held in June,” he detailed. 

"We can't just jump on everyone without thinking things through. We don't attack people, we don't throw people out without verifying things first," he insisted.
 
The luxury and fashion industry has been increasingly and discreetly distancing itself from Russia since the beginning of the war, limiting its presence in the country and financially supporting Ukrainian refugees.

Since the start of Fashion Week on February 28, Ralph Toledano called for shows to be “solemn” and asked the 110 members of the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode Fashion to make donations for Ukrainian refugees.
 
After two years living in the context of a health crisis, this Fashion Week was intended as "a kind of reunion", but it is impossible to "celebrate" this "when monstrous things are happening two hours away from Paris,” told Toledano to AFP.

Paris, March 6 2022 (AFP)