KEY INSIGHTS

• Burberry, H&M Group and Puma are among a growing list of major fashion companies to announce they will halt deliveries or temporarily cease sales in Russia.
• Ganni and Nanushka said they would halt trading with Russia, among the first fashion brands willing to cut business links as a result of the conflict.
• Balenciaga made an image of the Ukrainian flag the only post on its Instagram feed and said it would turn its social channels over to provide information about the situation in Ukraine.
• Burberry, LVMH, Tapestry, OTB Foundation and ASOS are among the brands that have announced donations to humanitarian causes and organisations providing aid to Ukraine.

Brands Struggle to Continue Business in Russia

Burberry, H&M Group and Puma are among a growing list of major fashion companies to announce Wednesday they will halt deliveries or temporarily cease sales in Russia amid the war with Ukraine.

A spokesperson for British luxury label Burberry said the company has paused all shipments to Russia until further notice “due to operational challenges.” Burberry said its priority was “supporting our people and partners, particularly in Ukraine and Russia.” The company will also donate money to the British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal.

German sportswear retailer Puma also halted deliveries to Russia on Wednesday, but its 100 stores in the country remain open, the company said.

Meanwhile, fast fashion retailers H&M Group, Asos and Boohoo said they have suspended sales in the country. H&M Group noted its stores in Ukraine are already temporarily closed to ensure the safety of customers and employees.

“ASOS has decided that it is neither practical nor right to continue to trade in Russia, and has, therefore, today suspended sales there,” the company said in a statement.

Contemporary labels Ganni and Nanushka also said earlier in the day they would halt sales in Russia as a result of the conflict.

— Daniel-Yaw Miller

Ganni, Nanushka to Boycott Russia in Response to Ukraine Invasion

Both companies said they would halt trading with Russia in Instagram posts Wednesday.

While neither company has their own physical footprint in the country, the statements are among the first indicating fashion brands are willing to cut business links as a result of the conflict. Meanwhile, a growing number of companies have said they are unable to continue deliveries to Russia as a result of operational challenges created by the conflict.

Alongside its statement, Danish brand Ganni pledged a donation of 100,000 Danish Krone ($14,900) to the Danish Refugee Council, which is providing emergency support for people in Ukraine.

“As a company we are aligning with international sanctions and are freezing all trade with Russia,” the company’s post said. The company declined to comment on the size of its business in Russia.

Hungarian contemporary label Nanushka said in its post that it was “pausing its business arrangements with Russia.” The company told BoF it will sever ties with its Russian wholesale partners and cancel customer orders from Russia.

The company currently has five stockists in Russia, according to its website.

— Daniel-Yaw Miller

Fashion Week Russia Cancels March Edition

Moscow’s major bi-annual fashion week event has cancelled its upcoming edition, which was to be held Mar. 16-22.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia’s official Instagram account posted a notice Wednesday saying the event would not go ahead, but did not give a reason for its cancellation. Organisers declined to comment further on the cancellation when contacted by BoF.

— Daria Labutina

Balenciaga Devotes Social Channels to Support Ukraine

The Kering-owned luxury label made an image of the Ukrainian flag the only post on its Instagram feed Wednesday, one of the strongest signs of support yet from a major fashion brand following Russia’s invasion last week.

In the accompanying caption, Balenciaga said it had made a donation to The World Food Programme, a global humanitarian organisation. On Tuesday, the WFP launched an emergency operation to provide food assistance for people affected by the conflict in Ukraine.

Balenciaga also pledged to dedicate its social platforms, which have more than 13 million followers across Instagram and Twitter, to “report and relay information around the situation in Ukraine.”

As part of its ongoing Chime for Change campaign, Gucci also made a $500,000 donation to the UNCHR.

Parent company Kering also displayed its support for Ukraine, with a blue and yellow post of the word “peace” on its Instagram feed, and said that it will make a “significant donation” to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

— Daniel-Yaw Miller

LVMH, Burberry, OTB and more undertake charitable efforts for Ukraine.

LVMH donated €5 million ($5.56 million) to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as well as launching a fundraising campaign for the committee across the conglomerate.

The OTB Foundation — the foundation associated with the parent company of Diesel, Maison Margiela and Jil Sander — announced a team up with the UNHCR. Italian luxury brand Valentino also announced it will donate €500,000 ($554,705) to UNHCR, in partnership with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.

The Tapestry Foundation, the foundation associated with the owner of brands like Stuart Weitzman and Coach, also made a donation of $100,000 to the UNHCR, and is matching donations from its North American employees. Kate Spade New York, one of Tapestry’s brands, made an additional $25,000 donation to the international rescue committee, one of the brand’s longtime partners.

Fast fashion retailer ASOS said that it will make a donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, and is exploring ways of donating clothing to those affected by the conflict.

Burberry has also made a monetary donation to British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal, and is matching employee donations to any charity that supports humanitarian causes in Ukraine.

— Diana Pearl