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Petition grows for Loro Piana to denounce Putin for wearing jacket as owner falls short of apology

Vladimir Putin flaunted his $13,000 Italian jacket as he took to the stage at a Moscow stadium on Friday, March 18

A petition has called for Loro Piana, the maker of the luxury jacket flaunted by Vladimir Putin on Friday, March, 18, to publicly denounce the Russian president in the wake of the bloody war that Russia is waging against Ukraine.

Putin flaunted his $13,000 Italian jacket as he took to the stage at a Moscow stadium to celebrate the 2014 annexation of Crimea as well as the ongoing invasion of Ukraine in front of tens of thousands of his supporters. As expected, there was a major uproar from the international community, with many calling for Quarona, an Italy-based company to distance itself from the Russian leader. Founder Pier Luigi Loro Piana issued a statement following the backlash.

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Echo of Moscow radio correspondent Karine Orlova started a Change.org petition on Sunday, March 20, titled 'Loro Piana should publicly denounce Vladimir Putin'. It noted how Putin publicly appeared on Friday dressed in luxury Italian clothing by Loro Piana after being denounced as a "war criminal" by US President Joe Biden. "The face and the mastermind of a murderous war in the heart of Europe, Vladimir Putin appeared also as the face of Loro Piana," Orlova wrote. The petition acknowledged that the brand had donated €5 million for aid to Ukraine, "but what values does Loro Piana really share? Do they enjoy being represented by such an ambassador as Vladimir Putin? Is this how Loro Piana wants to be remembered in history?"

"Vladimir Putin has been long known as a fan of Loro Piana's fine cashmere," Orlova continued. "He couldn't help himself even after having called "the traitors of the nation" those Russians who live in the West and enjoy Western goods and values. He lashed out at the Western-oriented Russians - to only appear two days later dressed in the most expensive Italian clothes in the world. Twitter and Italian media are already raging about Putin's outfit." The petition concluded, "We plead for Loro Piana to immediately publicly denounce Vladimir Putin and demand he stops wearing their clothes. Otherwise, the brand's century-long history will be forever overshadowed by the blood of thousands of innocent victims of Putin's criminal war."

Entrepreneur Pier Luigi Loro Piana told Repubblica that the image of Putin publicly wearing his brand's parka over a white turtleneck sweater and bulletproof vest “is a question that creates some embarrassment from a human point of view." Pier and his brother Sergio lead the family business born in Valsesia. In 2013, French multinational luxury brand LVMH acquired 80 per cent of Loro Piana's share capital. “The group to which Loro Piana belongs," Pier Luigi explained, "has already taken all the steps to distance itself and to be in solidarity with the European positions regarding the human tragedy we are experiencing." 

Furthermore, LVMH is one of several European luxury giants that have interrupted supplies in Russia since the beginning of March and closed their boutiques indefinitely. “I think the jacket worn by Putin is a purchase that dates back a long time ago, but I also believe that these are minor issues compared to the tragedy of a war," the entrepreneur continued. "As a company, we are completely in solidarity with the positions of the LVMH group. 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 the Ukrainian people to live. “

It's worth noting that since the beginning of Putin's offensive, Loro Piana has been supporting the population of Ukraine through donations to associations that are bringing aid. The company sent blankets and yarn items to the war-torn nation for those who lost everything in the bombings. “Support for the population, at the moment, is the most important thing," Loro Piana insisted. "The Ukrainians will have all our moral and practical support," he concluded.