Spanish fashion brand Oysho has sparked online debate after releasing a coffee-coloured quilted jacket that Russian social media users compared to a prison uniform.
The Spanish clothing retailer, which stopped operating in Russia in March 2022 due to the conflict in Ukraine, listed the unusual garment on its official website. According to product specifications provided on the site, the quilted outerwear is designed to withstand cold weather down to minus 10 degrees Celsius.
Reactions quickly flooded X, formerly Twitter, where commentators pointed out the garment's striking resemblance to traditional Soviet prison wear. The majority of the online responses came from Russian users who likened the coffee-toned coat to a vatnik, a heavy padded jacket historically associated with convicts.
Social media users shared a range of humorous and critical observations regarding the design. One commenter noted that viewing the new Oysho collection brought to mind the song Doves Fly Over Our Zone. Another user stated that they would not purchase the coat because, having been born in the 1980s, they strongly associated quilted jackets with prison inmates.
Other users commented on the jacket's colour scheme, with one observing that a brighter shade would have created a completely different impression. A fourth person quoted lines from the famous Russian chanson track Vladimirsky Central. Additional comments described the piece as a stylish padded jacket, while another user remarked that everything new in fashion is simply old clothing that has not served enough prison time.
Cultural background and previous fashion trends
Oysho is a major Spanish fashion brand specializing in women's wear, activewear, and outerwear. In Russian culture, the term vatnik refers to a quilted cotton coat originally introduced during the Soviet era. Padded jackets were standard clothing issued to inmates in labor camps, giving the style a lasting association with penal life and prison culture.
The songs mentioned by commentators, including Vladimirsky Central, belong to the Russian criminal chanson music genre, which frequently references Vladimir Central Prison, one of Russia's oldest maximum-security institutions. The viral response to Oysho's design follows another unusual product release in April, when Russian jewelry brand Interzona sparked widespread interest by introducing pendants shaped like anal plugs.
