Fur farm bans and eco-alternatives are changing the fashion game for big name brands like Moncler and Dolce & Gabbana.
On Monday, Dolce & Gabbana announced that they will discontinue the use of animal fur in all collections beginning in 2022, following Moncler, which pledged last Tuesday to cease using fur from 2024. These brands join Gucci, Prada, Armani, Versace, Canada Goose, and retailers like Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue, who have all ceased using/and or selling fur.
To preserve the professional master furriers’ practice, Dolce & Gabbana has decided to continue to work with the skilled artisans they have long collaborated with. However, rather than using the skins of animals, they will now work on creating eco-fur clothing and accessories. According to Dolce & Gabbana’s Group Communication and Marketing Officer, Fedele Usai, “the entire fashion system has a significant social responsibility role that must be promoted and encouraged: we will integrate innovative materials into our collections and develop environmentally friendly production processes, while at the same time preserve artisans’ jobs and know-how otherwise in danger of fading.” While it is essential to be sustainable, it is also crucial for brands like Dolce & Gabbana to continue to support artisans who have been honing their craft for decades.
The fashion house has received a slew of praise for the significant change. PJ Smith, the Fashion Policy Director at Humane Society of the United States, and Humane Society International shared, “we applaud Dolce & Gabbana’s decision to stop using animal fur. Ending the use of fur creates a higher standard for what is acceptable in fashion, and we’re so excited to have Dolce & Gabbana. So many others, embrace a better, more innovative path forward.” Consumers have been encouraging brands to look towards the future of fashion. Moncler launched their second Born To Protect collection to bring awareness to sustainability, the collection’s manifesto being, “Our promise to tomorrow starts today, with a clear commitment to create a better future and protect people and the planet.”
Fur has become less and less socially acceptable over recent years, with a 50% decline in demand in the U.S. in 2020. With 85% of fur extracted from animals raised in captivity, who are likely farmed in poor conditions and killed inhumanely, the Italian senate demanded that all of the country’s fur farms close by July 2022, leaving many Italian Fashion brands without fur textiles. Whether brands are concerned about animal welfare, or are responding to the decrease in demand, the next few years will likely spell continuous vegan fabric innovation.
Images courtesy of: Dolce & Gabbana and Moncler
