Gosha Rubchinskiy denies inappropriate messages to minor
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London-based Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy has been accused of sending inappropriate messages to an underage male minor.
According to the allegations, the two were corresponding on Instagram and WhatsApp. Rubchinskiy allegedly invited the boy to come to a casting in London, but to send him topless photos via the app.
Screenshots of the conversation were first leaked by High Fashion Talk Group on Instagram, and subsequently by Diet Prada, the WikiLeaks of fashion. Rubyinskiya responded on Monday to online publication Hypebeast: “This was a street casting for a look book shoot. The person sent a direct mail to us asking to be considered for the casting. Gosha did a face time with him and then he asked for a photo to have on file with all the others. The person said he wasn’t alone and couldn’t take photo so Gosha suggested he just quickly goes to the bathroom and take a quick photo on the mirror, so he could show the rest of the team and have it on file."
Rubyinskiya, who's collections and work often depict Russian youth culture, has been widely celebrated by the fashion industry as a champion of Slavic innovation and previously collaborated with Adidas and Burberry. He has also been taken under the wing of the Comme de Garçons group, who helped streamline and fund production in the early growth of his business.
The High Fashion Talk Group have since posted several screenshots between Rubchinskiy and 16-year-old Jan Silfverling, where the former suggests taking the photos in the bathroom to avoid Silfverling’s parents seeing. The photos were shared by Silfverling on the group’s private Facebook page.