Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare public appearance at a pro-war rally held
in Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on March 18, 2022.
During his speech, Putin praised Russian troops fighting in Ukraine and said that all the
goals of the Kremlin will be accomplished.
"We can see how heroically our soldiers are acting and fighting in this operation."
Tens of thousands of people attended the rally, but some said that they were forced to attend,
especially those who worked in the public sector.
One man in attendance told BBC News off-camera,
"I think most people here don't support the war.
I don't."
"Well, we've spoken to quite a few people here who told us that they were either forced
to come here by their employers, or promised the day off if they would come here."
Putin sported a navy blue puffer jacket on top of a cream-colored turtleneck sweater,
which drew a lot of attention from the media.
Why?
Well, the puffy coat is from the Italian fashion luxury brand Loro Piana, and reportedly retails
for $14,000.
The sweater he wore is also from an Italian brand, Kiton, and sells for $3,000.
Putin choosing to wear such expensive garb goes beyond fashion and has clear political
undertones, according to experts.
Experts like Andrew Bolton, the curator at The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art.
Bolton told Vogue,
"Fashion functions as a mirror to our times, so it is inherently political.
It's been used to express patriotic, nationalistic, and propagandistic tendencies as well as complex
issues related to class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality."
Fashion has a crucial role when it comes to politicians sending messages to their people.
As the New York Times noted at the height of the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign season,
politicians across the globe spent a surprising amount of time discussing the appropriate
color, designer, and style to wear, more so during important public appearances.
Dr. Virginia Olmsted McGraw, Soviet culture and fashion expert, told NPR that Putin's
choice to wear a luxury Italian brand, instead of domestically produced clothing, was "tone-deaf."
McGraw said,
"A Russian-designed coat would have better reinforced his message of Russian nationalism
and undercut much of this criticism."
Putin's puffy coat alone is worth more than twice the average annual salary of a Russian
citizen, according to the Daily Mail.
One Twitter user, a Ukrainian and Russian interpreter, posted,
"While Russian people are fighting for food in stores, Putin addressed 90,000 Russians
wearing a Loro Piana puffer jacket for 1.5 million rubles."
Marlen Komar, a writer specializing in fashion history, interpreted Putin's fashion choice
in an interview with NPR.
She stated that wearing such an expensive jacket is strategic for Putin, as it is part
of his propaganda to oppose reports that Russia is a, quote, "poor, suffering country that
is on the brink of collapse behind its exterior image."
Other experts say that Putin's typical fashion choices show how much he is detached from
ordinary Russian citizens.
Putin is known to wear lavish pieces from brands like Ferragamo and Valentino.
He has also been observed sporting costly and rare watches from brands like Patek Philippe.
Putin's expensive puffy coat has resulted in a petition for Loro Piana to denounce the
Russian president.
The petition on Change.org was started by a Moscow-based radio reporter, who called
Putin "the face of Loro Piana."
Meanwhile, the company has donated €5 million to Ukraine, as well as yarn and blankets for
Ukrainians who have lost everything due to the war.
Pier Luigi Loro Piana, the billionaire chairman of the luxury brand, released a statement
admitting that Putin wearing the brand's puffer jacket, quote, "creates some embarrassment
from a human point of view."
Loro Piana closed its stores in Russia when the invasion of Ukraine began in March, and
the branches will remain closed indefinitely.
Piana said that Putin purchased the puffy coat some time ago and that the company is
firm in its stance in supporting Ukraine.
Piana said in his statement,
"It is clear which side we have chosen to be on.
I do not feel guilty for that flaunted jacket worn on stage, but I believe that Putin should
reflect on the massacre he is causing Ukrainian people to live."
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