Recently, a drastic number luxury fashion houses have announced a commitment to more ethical fashion practices. The ban will include all types animal fur, including mink, coyote, fox and rabbit. The brand will continue to use shearling, mohair and angora, animal products that some competitors have dropped along with fur.
This new wave marks a great leap forward for fashion, for those who are animal lovers, here are a list of major brands that have pledged to go fur-free.
Yesterday, October 23, 2018, Coach announced that the brand has adopted a 100 percent fur-free policy, tapping the Humane Society of the United States to educate its lead executives for a cruelty-free future. The Humane Society’s CEO and president, Kitty Block took to her personal blog to express her exuberance over the initiative, stating that the announcement from a brand as iconic as Coach is the latest indication that fur is just not fashionable. The fur trade kills more than 100 million animals each year, with animals used for fur either trapped in the wild, where they remain in cruel leghold traps for days without food or water, or raised in cramped cages for their entire lives and then killed by electrocution or gassing. Consumers worldwide are saying no to all of that and fashion leaders are following.
On Friday, Maison Margiela shared that after designer John Galliano’s meeting with PETA, the brand would go fur free, eliminating fur from their future collections.
Diane Von Furstenberg, DVF, is one of the latest fashion houses to go 100 percent fur-free. The brand announced in early October 2018 that it has partnered with PETA to cease production of fur, exotic skins, mohair, and angora in all of its upcoming collections to create a sustainable fashion industry.
In September 2018, it was announced that Burberry will no longer use select animal furs in its products.
Last October, Gucci committed to stop using fur material in their collections, starting with the spring/summer 2018 collection and beyond.
Michael Kors joined the list stating a ban on all use of fur and pledged to be completely fur-free by the end of 2018.
Michael Kors’ fur-free pledge applied to Jimmy Choo as well, which was acquired by Michael Kors in a $1.2 billion deal in July 2017.
In March 2017, Donatella Versace announced that her namesake brand was done killing animals in the name of fashion.
Donna Karan, DKNY committed to promoting a cruelty-free brand earlier in March and the policy will go into effect by 2019.
Calvin Klein has been fur-free since 1994.
Since the conception of Stella McCartney in 2001, the brand policy has been strictly to create a leather-free, fur-free clothing.
In 2007, Tommy Hilfiger joined the movement, as well as many brands switching to go fur-free, despite previously using fur mostly on the collars and cuffs of his pieces and after a conversation with PETA, announced that any further production of fur items would end immediately.
After teaming up with the Humane Society of the United States, Giorgio Armani and the seven other labels under the Armani Group would no longer produce clothing pieces with fur beginning with the Fall 2016 collection.
In 2006, Ralph Lauren pledged to eliminate fur altogether, including all merchandise and home offerings. In addition to going fur-free, the brand announced it would donated 1,200 clothing pieces with fur to international relief initiatives.
Vivienne Westwood joined the club in 2007 after a chat with PETA.
PETA encouraged cult brand The Kooples to adopt a more cruelty-free approach so The Kooples dropped fur from their future collections, beginning with the fall 2017 range and created a clutch in honor of their new policy.
Hugo Boss vowed to stop using fur by its fall 2016 collection, a year after having a talk with The Humane Society of the United States.
