When Western companies flee from the Russia after the invasion of Ukraine Kira Dikhtyar, a 33-year-old model, saw an opportunity. So she got on a plane from new York and achieved To flyleaving behind decades of modeling career in the United States: The dual US and Russian citizen returned to her hometown in the spring to launch a new clothing line in sanctioned Russia, showing her support for the president Putin. The company’s concept, which it says is still in development, is to stock inexpensive replicas of Western-branded clothing zara, H&M and other retailers who closed their Russian offices after the February 24 invasion. “Let’s change the design a bit so we don’t get sued by the companies,” Dikhtyar said in a telephone interview with the Washington Post from his home in Moscow. A bit like what happened to me MC Donalds“born again” under the name “Vkousno i totchka”, “simply good”.
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The project in Moscow
Dikhtyar sees himself at the forefront of this economic reinvention and expresses no regrets having done business in Russia in the 2014 era War. “What’s going on? – he said – It’s an extraordinary opportunity here in Moscow ». In the USA, Dikhtyar is known for her participation in the reality show “The Face” and for a confrontation with former supermodel Naomi Campbell. For the past ten years she has worked as a model with her image on the pages of FHM and the overseas editions of L’Officiel and Playboy.
“People are being brainwashed by the media — it’s crazy,” he said, accusing the United States of prolonging a war in Ukraine. “There is no more peace and it is the fault of the United States of America. If they did not support the army in Ukraine, peace would be achieved. But since they brought military assets to Ukraine, it means Russia must now bring in more soldiers and more assets, which may lead to more deaths and longer conflicts.”
In the fashion world, Burberry, Chanel, H&M and Hermès have all shut down stores and online sales in Russia, joining nearly 1,000 companies that have scaled back operations in the country. And in that flight, Dikhtyar saw an opportunity to break through. “The market is huge. Think about it: 150 million people have nothing to wear because all brands are retiring.”
The journalist’s provocation: “The Russian mafia still exists”
However, the real case emerges in the latest story exposed by the Washington Post. Because, explains the journalist who wrote the interview after Dikhtyar took part in it for more than two hours, she subsequently asked not to publish the article because she said she was not authorized to speak on behalf of the clothing line. And he urged the article not to appear in the press, saying: “The Russian mafia still exists. We will conduct a background and family check. ‘ Moments later he insisted it was a joke. “Are you afraid of the Russian mafia?” he commented.
While pushing to stop publication, she said she knows people in the Russian mafia. “The Russian mafia still exists,” she said, “we need to review you and your family for this type of article.” https://t.co/xylgSJQJFD
-max seddon (@maxseddon) June 21, 2022