Gucci Goes Fur Free in 2018

Last September fashion house Gucci announced it would go fur free from 2018.

The Italian fashion house’s president and CEO Marco Bizzarri has announced no fur will feature in the brand’s collection from spring-summer 2018. All remaining animal fur items will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to the animal rights organisation Humane Society International (HSI) and LAV. Gucci is positioning this move as demonstrating the brand’s absolute commitment to making sustainability an intrinsic part of their business.

However, scratch the surface and what does it really mean? Did the Gucci organisation suddenly find compassion for animals or dare we suggest that fashion has changed and that fur no longer offers the same return on investment it once did? Is this a business decision disguised as a PR opportunity? It’s always worth asking these questions at times like these. Could there be a reverse statement by these big name fashion houses if fur suddenly became trendy again?

At LaBante London we are passionate about animal rights and ethical fashion, so of course we do welcome the news that such a powerful fashion house has made this move. In recent years, hundreds of other major fashion brands have ditched fur, including Armani, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and Tommy Hilfiger. We also echo comments like those of Kitty Block, (whatcomment?)president of HSI, who feels this is a real game-changing moment for the fashion industry. We just want to things to stay this way and for progress to continue…

I can’t help but be reminded of beauty brand NARS that, overnight, went from being a cruelty free brand to one that tests on animals. They even released a statement this summer claiming that the global elimination of animal testing needs to happen and that they firmly believed that product and ingredient safety can be proven by non-animal methods, but that they must comply with the local laws of the markets in which they operate. To quote Kat Von D who I believe said: if a brand cannot stand to its ethos where does it leave its consumers?

xoxo,

Vanita

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