An Olympic athlete has said that luxury brands Dior and Louis Vuitton refused to sell her their products after realising that she is from Russia. Russian figure skater Adeliia Petrosian was at the Milan airport in Italy when she tried to buy jewellery from Dior, but was denied service because of her deep red passport.
Petrosian had been in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics. However, she acknowledged that her experience was marred by what happened at the airport.
Dior, LV refuse service
“I still feel a bit bitter about what happened,” the 18-year-old Russian figure skater said on the ALEKÓ In My Bag show recently.
Petrosian said she stepped into the Dior boutique at the Milan airport to buy a ring and a pair of earrings. “The girl at Dior asked to see my passport. And when she saw my red, my burgundy passport, she said ‘No, we cannot sell anything to people from Russia’”.
The Russian Olympian further revealed that French fashion house Louis Vuitton has the same rule. “Louis Vuitton also has the same rule,” she told the show host.
{{/usCountry}}The Russian Olympian further revealed that French fashion house Louis Vuitton has the same rule. “Louis Vuitton also has the same rule,” she told the show host.
{{/usCountry}}(Also read: ₹51 lakh">'Louis Vuitton' bag that’s smaller than a grain of rice sells for ₹51 lakh)
Petrosian even tried to get a friend from Georgia to shop for her, but that attempt also failed. She said that her friend from Georgia was also denied service because store staff saw he was heading to Moscow from Milan.
“She apologised and refused to sell anything since we were flying to Moscow,” said Petrosian. “So yeah… not a great experience. It just feels off. Makes you wonder if it’s even worth buying these brands after that.”
Why did these brands refuse service?
The European Union, of which Italy is a part, has banned the export of luxury goods to Russia exceeding €300 per item—including fashion, electronics, cars, and jewelry—as part of its sanctions.
Following European Union and G7 action after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia was stripped of its Most-Favoured-Nation status in the World Trade Organization, removing key trade privileges.
Instead of raising tariffs, the EU imposed sweeping sanctions — banning imports (like steel, diamonds, aluminium, and fuel-related materials) and exports (including luxury goods, advanced tech, and industrial equipment) to cut Russia’s revenues and weaken its military and industrial capabilities.
(Also read: Top Russian figure skaters get IOC approval to compete at Winter Olympics in Milan)
Because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian teams were even restricted from participating in several international sporting events, including the Winter Olympics. Adeliia Petrosian participated in the Olympics as an Individual Neutral Athlete.