Russian Teen Prodigy Kira Plastinina to close all U.S. Store

[Street_a_Licious]

i do believe they're making profit. just not in the US. noone looks up to a daughter of a russian billionaire. the case might be different in Russia and wherever she's successful.

[Urban Stylin]

this story just sounds too weird like it could be on ugly betty!

[homeboy]

I think the failure is due to unwarranted expansion. They went a little bit too crazy on opening up stores in the US because of some media attention here and there. high optimism in combination with Daddy wanting to make her little princess happy.

Now when the fairytale has come to and end they got a taste of how it really is to run a clothing empire.

[leyla m.]

prodigy?

this girl and dad were just seeing too big. if you have 70 stores already, you should keep it as that. this over eagerness in some people baffles me. greed to always want more more more without having a smart business plan doesnt lead anywhere. proof!

[lucy92]

kira plastinina bought a lot of advertorials in teen vogue. did anyone notice?

apparently, "fast fashion"was a misnomer, according to some of the reports ive read from NY, they hardly ever replaced the clothes in store. maybe the initial stuff hardly sold...

[lollicandy]

^Yes, and it was off-putting to see it everywhere.

They overexpanded without developing a real base of customers. The clothing was hideous, and frankly I don't think teens and pre-teens want to dress like that. Kids want to look more grown up than this pink stuff. I would go even younger than pre-teen. If Plastinina had been around in the mid to late 90s I think the younger crowd would have flocked to their stores. But seriously, everything about this was so unappealing and dated, the clothing, the "heiress" thing. It's like they were at least 10 years too late.

[MynameisGreg]

saw her at Teen vogue fashion U and honestly, she is so awful, her daddy's russian mafia money bought her anything she wanted including those god awful clothes that look like they came from a bargain basement forever 21, it serves them right for trying to bombard the us market, she will be fine, it's true US retailers who actually sell good product that I am worried about

[GasolineRainbow]

I thought I'd had my say on this, but then I came across these pictures, which bring a whole new dimension to light:

www.legitgov.org

Now, I'm not saying that the way the KP brand treated its workers is in any way justified, but emphasizing the Russian/American division is also wrong. Most Russians are very poor, and some would argue have also been robbed by Russian oligarchs like Plastinin. In any case an entire nation is not responsible for the stupidity of one family.

Most importantly, Americans practically invented the concept of global brands. How much of what we wear, eat, drive etc. is from the USA? Americans or citizens of any country sure wouldn't like it if people in other countries said, don't buy this because it's American (or such and such - any nation really). It's totally hypocritical and practically racist.

[lollicandy]

^We're in a recession right now in the US. Personally, I have had 2 members of my immediate family laid off. People here are hurting too, maybe not to the same extent in Russia but obviously they are making a play for the sympathy of fellow Americans on the street so they don't shop there. I mean these people all got fired around Christmas. I don't see how they're racist, the sign seems to be talking about how money is leaving American shores not that they hate Russians...actually some people are saying they want to buy American or European etc. and not from certain countries (China, India for example) but that's a whole other discussion...

But I think the last line is a little dramatic.

[DandyWarhol]

why am i not surprised..

[Rightguard]

Originally Posted by GasolineRainbow

I thought I'd had my say on this, but then I came across these pictures, which bring a whole new dimension to light:

www.legitgov.org

Now, I'm not saying that the way the KP brand treated its workers is in any way justified, but emphasizing the Russian/American division is also wrong. Most Russians are very poor, and some would argue have also been robbed by Russian oligarchs like Plastinin. In any case an entire nation is not responsible for the stupidity of one family.

Most importantly, Americans practically invented the concept of global brands. How much of what we wear, eat, drive etc. is from the USA? Americans or citizens of any country sure wouldn't like it if people in other countries said, don't buy this because it's American (or such and such - any nation really). It's totally hypocritical and practically racist.

Nothing racist about it. The protester is just saying, "don't shop here because KP does not pay their employees and the money goes right back into his pocket". It is no different than when Americans protesed toys that where manufactured in China because they contained lead.

[GasolineRainbow]

I must emphasize again that I think the way the KP brand treated its workers is absolutely atrocious. But racism isn't always as extreme as hating another culture, race, nation etc., it's also about insinuating an "us against them" paradigm, which that sign does. For example, the vague "..any money you spend here goes to Russia." To whom in Russia? All of Russia? And then personalizing it with the "children of American workers".

Aren't we all dealing with the blow of the same recession? I support the protestors, but I don't like the discourse of that sign.

[loladonna]

I think if Plastin could pay Nicole Richie $150,000 for an appearance literally a couple of weeks before the stores shut down he could have mustered up the money to pay the workers. In any event Kira Plastinina will have a hard time ever coming back to the U.S. with such a shady reputation.

[Zposen]

Wow just a mess all around it seems... those poor workers and their family.

[breathetostay]

After her tacky promotions in Teen Vogue, I saw this coming. I've never liked her god awful clothing and "prodigy"? no,no,no,no,no.