Thread by @guyadams

We went shopping in Vladimir Putin's Moscow this week. Here's what we found 🧵

Right next to the Kremlin, shelves fully stocked, all the latest gear, a branch of @PaulSmithDesign

16,900 roubles for a tie, 90,000 roubles for a fetching man bag from the latest season (which only arrived in stock a few weeks back)

Spent all week seeking comment from @PaulSmithDesign whose owner Sir Paul was made a Knight of the Realm by Tony Blair. Still waiting.

A few doors down, one of TEN branches of Agent Procateur @TheMissAP still flogging gear to Mr Putin's oligarchs (or their wives)

Agent Provatateur is owned by well known nice guy Mike Ashley. Their Russian locations are advertised on their UK website here (search for Moscow) agentprovocateur.com/store-finder

An assistant told us that the last shipment of new stock arrived just before Christmas and a fresh one is due in March "just in time for International woman's day."

Half a mile away, the big one: @RollsRoyce They are not supposed to be supplying new cars to Russia. But in their showroom we were offered five spanking new 2022 models

Here's one. 57km on the clock. The sales assistant, Igor, said it was made in Goodwood, Sussex last summer and shipped to Moscow via a "CIS" country in the Autumn. Yours for 64m roubles (about £700k)

Rolls-Royce say they are investigating how the five cars, combined value £4m, got to Russia. If they have even vague control of their supply chain, they'll presumably fire the cowboy firms operating their Moscow Franchise. Let's see.

Full report in today's paper

Or read it online here dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…

Still trying to work out how these places can legally remain open and fully stocked given that the government supposedly imposed “luxury goods sanctions” on Russia last March. The legislation is here legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/452/…

Either these laws aren’t being properly enforced, or they have more holes in them than a Swiss cheese. I intend to find out what the Hell’s going on in the coming days

Any expert lawyer able to walk me through sanctions and how a scumbag might evade them please get in touch. My DMs are open!

@RollsRoyce It has been pointed out that I have unfairly tagged @RollsRoyce when the actual baddies are @rollsroycecars. Apols to the Derbyshire engine maker!