Anna Wintour leads the fashion industry into battle against Sharia Law in Brunei
Leading members of the fashion world, including Vogue editor Anna Wintour,
are boycotting the Dorchester hotel collection over its links to the Sultan of Brunei, who recently ratified Sharia law in his country making homosexuality punishable by stoning to death.
Both The Dorchester in London and Le Meurice in Paris and are owned by the Sultan of Brunei's investment agency, with fashion celebrities making it clear they will be avoiding their usual French hotel during Paris Fashion Week – next due to take place in July for the men’s and Haute Couture collections.
“While I am sensitive to the potential impact that this issue may have on the wonderful staff at Le Meurice, I cannot in all good conscience stay there, nor can Vogue’s editors,” said Anna Wintour in a statement to the New York Times – explaining why she will not use the Parisian hotel which is her usual base during Paris Fashion Week.
Brunei, a Muslim country where Muslim courts govern family affairs, will begin the implementation of penalties such flogging, amputation and stoning over the next two years. Previously, the punishment for committing a homosexual act in Brunei was a 10-year prison sentence. Brunei’s Sultan Hassanai Bolkiah has praised his state’s laws as a “great achievement.”
The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, US, experienced the full force of the fashion industry’s anger at the new laws when designers Peter Som and Brian Atwood asked their social media followers not to stay at hotels owned by the group last month.
Employees of international luxury brands such as Gucci, Balenciaga, Christopher Kane, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen are also unlikely to stay at any Dorchester property after François-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering – which part owns the aforementioned labels – also backed the boycott.
The City of Beverly Hills has voted to pressure the government of Brunei into selling the property – which the Sultan of Brunei has said he will not do – and as the boycott enters its second month, it isn’t having much effect, according to HR Magazine.
“The Dorchester Collection has annual revenue of £300m (US$503m, €369m) – an insignificant amount compared to the estimated US$30 billion (€22bn, £18bn) in assets managed by the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA)," read the article.
"More importantly, all profits from Dorchester Collection hotels are re-invested back into the hotels, according to its vice president of people and organisational development Eugenio Pirri. Using it as a financial lever would have no impact on the BIA.”
Kingdom Holding Company, the investment company owned by Saudi Arabia – whose legal system is also based on Sharia law – was highlighted as another company whose Four Seasons and Fairmont hotels merit equal levels of scrutiny, according to the article.
Hotelchatter reported that the Dorchester Collection has promised to protect their employees, including wages and tips, but it is not clear how long this will continue.
“While we recognise peoples’ concerns, we believe this boycott should not be directed at our hotels and dedicated employees. The impact of this not only affects our loyal team members but extends to the local community, our valued partners and suppliers,” said a spokesperson for the Dorchester Collection in a statement.
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