Luxury is on high alert in Europe. Hundreds of stores have been looted in Paris and other French cities, including Saint Laurent, Celine, Dior and Louis Vuitton, as looters took advantage of the cost of living and inequality protests that have gathered both students and members of France’s Yellow Vests movement.
Calls for more strikes and demonstrations over the next three weekends are bubbling up. In Milan, some stores have shuttered and troops have been dispatched in anticipation of protests in the Italian fashion capital, while demonstrations have also materialized in towns across the country. More protests unraveled in Spain, Belgium and Portugal over the past few weeks, with tensions escalating since the weekend.
On Tuesday, Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM), which organizes Paris Fashion Week, published a statement: “Following the damage and looting that occurred on the sidelines of the demonstrations on October 17 and 18, FHCM expresses its full support for its members and, more broadly, for all businesses whose activities have been affected. The Fédération stands ready to assist its members with any related procedures and has shared a note outlining the safety guidelines to follow and the relevant contact details.”
Yann Rivoallan, president of Fédération Française du Prêt à Porter Féminin, or the French Federation of Women’s Ready-to-Wear, told Vogue Business on Tuesday that the organization is prepared to help its members — which include 600 premium brands including Gerard Darel — file insurance claims, seek legal action if they are uninsured, and navigate psychological support service for team members. “There is a strong sense of isolation among shopkeepers. They are left with damaged stores, no stock if the entire fall/winter collection has been looted, and they are deeply concerned that, if this happens again, they may not have the financial resources to recover.”
Small business owners are left particularly vulnerable. One shop owner in Paris, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of attracting attention, says that while their shop is intact, “things have come to blows”, and the store is now prepping resources for more looting, including street patrols.
She adds: “The only positive aspect is the outpouring of solidarity. We received an incredible number of messages of support, particularly through our Instagram account.’”
Across Europe, protestors are airing local grievances, though all stem from similar upsets about the state of schooling and the skyrocketing costs of living across the continent. Looting is typically a byproduct of the actual protests, as people exploit the distraction of the protests to act out. Luxury fashion brands, because of the wealthy customers they cater to, are often targeted in these sorts of protests. Sports and outerwear brands such as Adidas, JD Sports, Arc’teryx, and Pyrenex were also targeted.
Since Saturday, stolen items started appearing on resale sites including Vinted and Ebay. On Monday, the French government called on these platforms to watch out for — and ban — listings of stolen goods. “We expect these platforms to remove the listings in question without delay. They will also be required to work closely with public authorities, so that those reselling potentially stolen goods can be identified and prosecuted,” France’s digital affairs minister Anne Le Hénanff wrote on X. Later that day, Vinted announced it had removed the items it believes to have been looted, according to the BBC.
“Following the recent events over the weekend in Paris, our fraud prevention, curation and authentication teams have placed the platform under heightened vigilance,” Vestiaire Collective shared in a statement. “We are actively monitoring deposit patterns across France and relevant luxury categories, focusing specifically on statistical anomalies and newly created seller profiles,” noting that if doubt arises, the company will take preventive action by quarantining listings, restricting seller accounts and requiring verifiable proof of provenance or purchase.
This comes as retailers gear up for the crucial holiday season amid a protracted downturn in the luxury and fashion industries. While tourists weigh whether to postpone their trips, brands face a similar dilemma: whether to proceed with planned events and activations, or risk appearing out of touch. France and Italy are the two largest countries for soft luxury in Europe. “This is the last thing we needed,” one executive sighed.
