Gosha Rubchinskiy, a renowned Russian fashion designer and photographer, is currently the subject of internet speculation regarding his potential involvement in inappropriate behaviour. With a reputation for merging skate culture, post-Soviet aesthetics, and modern fashion, Rubchinskiy rose to fame in the early 2010s. He launched his eponymous brand in 2008, attracting interest with his unique use of Cyrillic lettering. His collaborations include notable labels like Adidas, Burberry, and Comme des Garçons.
However, it is not just his fashion influences that have made headlines. Rubchinskiy has been embroiled in controversies, the most prominent being the allegations of pedophilia. A 16-year-old, Jan Silfverling, accused him of sending suggestive messages in 2018. Social media platforms were rife with screenshots of their conversation, causing an uproar among netizens who began labelling Rubchinskiy a pedophile.
The incriminating messages revealed Rubchinskiy asking Silfverling for photos, even advising him to use the washroom as a venue to avoid parental detection. This scandal resurfaced recently when Kanye West unveiled Rubchinskiy as the new Head of Design at Yeezy, causing a wave of public dissent, with one Twitter user expressing disgust at the recruitment of a “known pedophile.”
Delving into the details of the 2018 scandal, the communication between Rubchinskiy and Silfverling began on Instagram Direct Messages, leading to further interactions via WhatsApp and FaceTime. The screenshots of their conversation, shared on social media groups, rapidly gained attention. However, some of the messages were deleted by the teenager, who claimed to have removed explicit content.
In response to the scandal, Rubchinskiy’s team issued a statement denying the allegations. They informed Hypebeast that the messages were part of standard casting discussions and had been misinterpreted. The team maintained that there was no inappropriate intent behind the messages and that the request for bathroom photos was merely for a quick snapshot required for a lookbook shoot.
Despite the incident occurring in 2018, it continues to create ripples online, casting a shadow over Rubchinskiy’s otherwise successful career in the fashion industry.
