According to a recent interview with 1843: Donatella Versace has verbally sworn off using animal fur in her future collections.
Speaking with the style editor of the magazine, Versace said ‘Fur? I am out of that. I don’t want to kill animals to make fashion. It doesn’t feel right.’ The editor references the fact that at the very time of his interview with Versace, the brand’s website was ‘urging customers to consider ‘fur-embellished coats that turn heads.’ The brand also currently has a $1450 medusa fur throw pillow for sale: available via their website.
An official announcement of the house’s policy change has yet to be issued, although PETA offered what seemed to be a sarcastic congratulations, writing on their website: ‘Versace has finally realized that it’s unconscionable to cage, bludgeon, electrocute, and skin animals — who are no different from her beloved dog, Audrey — for fur. PETA is sending Versace a box of fox-shaped vegan chocolates to thank her.’
Many luxury brands have recently turned against designing with fur, but Versace’s decision feels particularly shocking, since fur has long been a signature of the house. Oversized mink coats and sumptuous fur-trimmed outerwear are almost synonymous with Donatella’s aesthetic, often thrown over ultra-short, ultra-sexy ready-to-wear. The anti-fur limitation could prove challenging for Donatella’s successor. Rumours continue to swirl that she is looking to hand off the baton as creative director. The designer discussed the rumours with the editor stating that ‘Somebody came up to me recently and said, ‘there will be a huge crisis if you leave – it will be a fashion disaster!’ Can you believe that?’ she said. ‘Yes, I am Versace. But also Versace needs to mean change. And it needs to be an opportunity for others to express themselves.’
