The French fashion industry is making a bold statement in support of tolerance amidst growing demands to exclude Russian designers from Paris Fashion Week. The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, the authoritative body governing high fashion in France, has released a powerful statement advocating for collective emancipation and expressing unwavering support for freedom of expression.
Ralph Toledano, the president of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, has issued the statement which highlights the ongoing war in Ukraine and its unsettling consequences. In the midst of this turmoil, fashion is reaffirmed as a medium deeply rooted in the principles of freedom, known for its ability to facilitate individual and collective expression.
Toledano has urged all attendees of Paris Fashion Week to approach the upcoming shows with solemnity and reflection in light of the current global context. Paris has consistently been recognized as the most open and inclusive fashion capital, embracing designers and artists from every corner of the world. However, recent events such as the exclusion of Russian athletes and artists from international events have fueled demands to remove Russian designers from the official French fashion calendar.
FashionNetwork.com has received multiple emails reflecting these calls for exclusion, including one email specifically targeting Russian designer Ulyana Sergeenko and requesting her removal from the High Fashion Federation. The Fédération, however, has asserted that it has no intentions of taking any action against Russian designers for now, with the exception of Valentin Yudashkin, who will be presenting a digital video instead of a live runway show.
In a time of heightened political tensions and deep-seated divisions, the fashion industry’s unequivocal call for tolerance resonates profoundly. It serves as a powerful reminder that fashion has the uncanny ability to transcend borders and promote inclusivity and understanding. As Paris Fashion Week unfolds, the message of collective emancipation professed by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode calls upon all individuals to unite in support of freedom and expression.
Useful links:
1. Paris Fashion Week
2. Fédération de la Haute couture et de la Mode
