Pinault and Yves Saint Laurent join Dorchester boycott

François-Henri Pinault, CEO of the luxury group Kering and president of the foundation Kering for Women, has lent his support to the boycott of the Dorchester Collection chain of hotels, following the decision of the hotels' owner, the Sultan of Brunei, to introduce Sharia law in Brunei.

The Kering chairman condemned the moves via Kering Foundation’s Twitter account, tweeting: “As president of Kering Foundation, which combats violence against women, I firmly condemn the sultan of Brunei’s decision and join the boycott of his hotel properties.”

Pinault is one of the latest fashion industry names to voice his objections to the hotel group, last month footwear designer Brian Atwood along with Peter Som and Decades owner Cameron Silver called for all fashion week attendees to not stay at Principe di Savoia, Le Meurice, or the Dorchester during Milan, Paris or London Fashion Weeks.

Atwood urged his Instagram followers to "send a clear signal to their owner, the Sultan of Brunei, that stoning people to death for being gay in Brunei is not acceptable."

In addition, the house of Yves Saint Laurent and Hedi Slimane voiced their support for the boycott, stating on the label’s Facebook page: “The House of Yves Saint Laurent, jointly with its Creative Director Hedi Slimane, cannot tolerate such repressive and anti-egalitarian laws, affecting basic human rights, as the Sharia Law just implemented by the Sultan of Brunei.

“For this reason, no employees of the House will stay in any Dorchester Collection properties until the Sultan of Brunei repels such laws and positions, that have no place in a civilized society.”

The boycott is in response to Brunei revising the law for committing a homosexual act and adultery in Brunei from a 10-year prison sentence to "stoning to death as the specific method of execution for crimes of a sexual nature".

The hotel group, which also includes the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air in LA, has already reportedly lost 2 million dollars in revenue due to the boycott, which has resulted in more than 20 events being cancelled.

Fashion industry steps up boycott of Dorchester Collection hotels

The hotel group's CEO, Christopher Cowdray has been trying to distance the properties themselves from the owner's beliefs, telling WWD: "While we recognise people's concerns, we believe this boycott should not be directed to our hotels and dedicated employees. The economic impact of this not only affects our loyal team members but extends to the local community, our valued partners and suppliers.

“Today's global economy needs to be placed in a broader perspective. Most of us are not aware of the investors behind the brands that have become an integral part of our everyday life, from the gas we put in our cars, to the clothes we wear, to the way we use social media and to the hotels we frequent."

In addition to fashion names, public figures including Richard Branson, British actor and comedian Stephen Fry and TV presenter Ellen DeGeneres, as well as film company 20th Century Fox have all indicated that they will no longer be staying at Dorchester Collection hotels.

Image: Dorchester Collection