First the fleece shirt, worn when Russia invaded Ukraine and became the official dress by which the whole world knew him. Now, with the return of winter, it was his military-colored jacket that was snapped up. Since the beginning of the war, Volodymyr Zelensky’s tactical clothing has sold out. The bosses are from the Ukrainian company M-Tac. Warehouses in the United States have also sunk. Many requests from anonymous buyers, who wanted to dress like the leader of Kiev, and stopped production led to the sold out: “Maybe after the victory we will resume”, says Taras Rudnytskyi, head of the American market of the company. People buy them because “it enhances their warrior spirit, they want to imitate the president like they do a rock star”.
Zelensky’s olive-green uniform, which is fueling a parallel market for second-hand clothing that is reaching stellar figures, cost very few euros before the war. Very little, compared to the prestigious sweaters worn by Russian President Putin, or his 12 thousand euro down jackets. According to the company website, which describes itself as “one brand for everyone” fueling Zelensky’s image as a popular president, the hoodie cost just under €30, while the technical jacket under €220. Then, demand has soared since March, and stocks have run out. The motto of M-Tac, founded five years ago, is: “Born of revolution, hardened by war”. And the curious went wild on Reddit: the Kiev leader also relied on other brands, such as the Californian label of tactical clothing 5.11, and Austrian military products from Carinthia. “We went through dozens of images of the president visiting trenches and hospitals to find out what he’s wearing,” says a Redditter. Last spring, Zelensky’s jacket was sold at a charity auction in London for 105,000 euros.