Why Are Russian Influencers Cutting Up Their Chanel Bags? (2024)

Amid the Russian-Ukrainian war, Russian influencers and models have been seen cutting up Chanel bags in order to show their support to their motherland. The movement came out after the new guidelines that banned the usage of the products on Russian territory. The move by the luxury brand has been deemed to be hurtful for the Russian influencers and models as they have termed it to be "Russophobia".

Many Russian influencers and models alleged that they were made to sign agreements by luxury brand Chanel which claimed that they would not use the sold products on Russian land. On April 6, Chanel issued a statement banning the use of its products on Russian territory in response to the Russian-Ukrainian war. The luxury brand announced that it will not sell its goods including clothes, perfumes and bags to Russian nationals living abroad if they will use their products back home.

The Parisian brand also shut its shops in Russia amid the Moscow-led war on Ukraine and said that it is just complying with the guidelines imposed by the European Union in order to downsize the Russian economy. In its statement, the luxury brand mentioned, "The most recent EU and Swiss sanction laws include a prohibition on the ‘sale, supply, transfer or export, directly or indirectly, of luxury goods to any natural or legal person, entity or body in Russia or for use in Russia."

Russian Influencers Cutting Up Chanel Bags

This move by the company has enraged a protest among the Russian influencers and models as they are starting to boycott the brand by cutting up Chanel bags. Russian TV presenter Marina Ermoshkina posted a video on her Instagram account in which she can be seen cutting up her Chanel bag with a pair of scissors. Ermoshkina alleged that the brand is "Russophobic" in her caption saying, "Not a single bag, not a single thing is worth my love for my Motherland, it is not worth my respect for myself, I am against Russophobia, I am against a brand that supports Russophobia."

Following the move, Russian influencer Victoria Bonya also took to, Instagram saying, "Never seen any brand acting so disrespectfully towards their clients." See the post here.