Designer Banned From Paris Fashion Week For Collaborating With Putin For Russia’s Military Uniforms

A Russian designer who helped design and create the current uniforms of the Russian military and who has known ties with Vladimir Putin was dropped from the Paris Fashion Week schedule on Tuesday, March 7, after he refused to speak out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Valentin Yudashkin, whose fashion and clothes have shown up at different places like Vogue, Elle, Tatler, and the Metropolitan Museum of New York, reportedly has refused to denounce the Russia-Ukraine conflict and is believed to be closely affiliated with Putin’s regime, according to the New York Post.

“If he had doubt about the war in Ukraine, it would have been hard to remove him from the program. That was not the case,” Fédération de la Haute Couture president Ralph Toledano said.

Toledano said that his team working for the event had researched deeply regarding his affiliations and his beliefs regarding the invasion, with Toledano saying that if he was found to not be a supporter of the regime, then his fashion show would be kept on the schedule, People reported.

“It became clear that he is an affiliate of the regime. As such, I consider that he doesn't have a place in the calendar,” he said. “Until now, the sole criteria we considered was creativity and artistic interest of these candidates. We are confronted by a wholly novel situation.”

Yadashkin has met Putin beforehand, re-designing Russia’s uniforms in 2008. He created over 85 different uniforms for the air force, navy, and army, presenting the new designs to Putin personally for his approval.

While saying that “all Russians can't be blamed for the actions of the president of the Russian Federation,” Toledano and others in the fashion industry believe that the Russians who are living outside the country should speak out and denounce the invasion of Ukraine.

“If they live abroad then they have no excuse not to speak out,” Gary Wassner of Hilldun Corporation said. “For those living in Russia currently, it’s not so easy. Though it’s hard for them to speak out, they must in order to prevent this genocide.”

Yadashkin has not commented on his exclusion from the Paris Fashion Week, and it is unclear what his official stance is on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.