As a protest to sanctions following the war in Ukraine, Russian influencers are posting footage of themselves ripping up Chanel handbags, which cost an average of $7,800.
Russian influencers have been publicly speaking out against the luxury brand’s refusal to sell to people in the country following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Now, they’ve taken things a step further, posting videos of themselves ripping up the bags on social media.
Destroying Chanel in protest
Marina Ermoshkina, a TV presenter and actress, shared a video on Instagram. In her caption, she shared how Chanel is just a fashion choice, not an essential for a happy life.
“Not a single bag, not a single thing is worth my love for my Motherland, and it is not worth my self respect,” the TV personality wrote.
Holding a firm stance against Chanel, she added, “I am against Russophobia. I am against a brand that supports Russophobia.”
She then further explained her reasoning by writing, “Chanel is just an accessory. An accessory that at some point decided to humiliate people, my compatriots, they decided to discriminate against people based on nationality, which I will not tolerate. After all, the main thing is principles, and not what is in your hand, but what is inside you.”
Towards the end of the caption, she challenged her followers, saying, “If you agree with me, support this challenge. It doesn’t matter if you have a bag or any item of this brand; you can draw the Chanel logo on a piece of paper, cross it out and thus support us.”
In her video, she is holding giant garden scissors and cutting into the flap of her Chanel boy flap quilted bag, which on the official Chanel website retails between $5,400 to $6,200, depending on the size.
Russian DJ Katya Guseva accepted the challenge and posted on her Instagram a video where she cuts her bag as well.
Russian model Victoria Bonya also uploaded a video on her Instagram with the caption, “Never seen any brand acting so disrespectful towards their clients as @chanelofficial”
The challenge is now on Instagram under the hashtag #byebyechanel.
Since November 2019, the price of a Chanel Medium Flap Bag has increased by 60%, according to data from the Jefferies Group. Therefore, tearing a bag would be ripping up a costly investment.
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