Olympic figure skater Adeliia Petrosian denied service by luxury brands in Milan

Luxury shopping and international politics collided in an unexpected way for Russian figure skater Adeliia Petrosian. Fresh off her performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, the 18-year-old athlete stopped at Dior’s boutique at the city’s airport, hoping to pick up a ring and earrings, News18 reported.

Instead, she was denied service after staff saw her burgundy Russian passport. “No, we cannot sell anything to people from Russia,” she recalled on the ALEKÓ In My Bag show, admitting she still feels “a bit bitter” about the experience.

It wasn’t just Dior; Petrosian revealed that Louis Vuitton enforces the same rule. Even when she asked a Georgian friend to shop on her behalf, staff refused once they noticed he was flying to Moscow. “She apologised and refused to sell anything since we were flying to Moscow,” Petrosian said, questioning whether buying from these brands is worth it after such treatment.

The reason lies in European Union sanctions. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has banned the export of luxury goods worth more than €300 to Russia, covering fashion, jewellery, cars, and more. These measures, alongside G7 actions, aim to cut Russia’s revenues and weaken its military and industrial capabilities.

For Petrosian, who competed as an Individual Neutral Athlete due to restrictions on Russian teams, the incident was a reminder of how politics and sanctions can spill into everyday life, even at a luxury boutique.