A Fur Free Future for Versace and Furla.
Italian House Versace and accessories/handbag maker, Furla, plan to no longer use real fur in their products. Following the footsteps of other luxury brands who’ve decided on the same initiative. A few of these brands include: Michael Kors, Gucci, Net-a-Porter, Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, Armani, and Stella McCartney.
Fashion houses worldwide are increasingly succumbing to pressure of animal rights group and the values of their young consumers by turning their backs on the fur industry. More consumers are becoming conscious of what they buy and have been voicing concerns about the treatment of the animals who are potentially harmed in the process.
In addition, environmental concerns on fur production are based on the energy input it takes to produce them and the pollution it causes during production.
Versace, Pre-Fall 2017 Collection.
Versace has long received criticism for being a product included as a staple in their designs. The brand has lots of fur in its previous collections, such as mink, raccoon, and fox furs.
In an interview with The Economist’s 1843 magazine, Donatella Versace, the artistic director and vice-president of Versace, announced that she wanted to do the right thing and did not want to harm animals anymore to use them in her designs. Her brand pledges to pay closer attention to its production and sourcing process to ensure that conditions follow the highest standards.
The fashion house plans to focus on environmentalist approaches and sustainability initiatives.
“Fur? I am out of that. I don’t want to kill animals to make fashion. It doesn’t feel right.”
Furla is another one of the latest fashion brands to go fur-free.
Alberto Camerlengo, chief officer of the group, says the decision to ban collections using fur follows the brand’s increasing environmental interest and growing requests for ethical products. Their Cruise 2019 collection will be made with ecological faux-fur, for all menswear and womenswear designs.
“It’s about surprising the customer, there are so many bags out there, everybody is doing bags, but we need to be creative and innovative, differentiating our product. It’s increasingly more difficult, but this is what has helped us to emerge — reinventing ourselves,” said President Giovanna Furlanetto.
Furlanetto highly values sustainable fashion.
In an interview at Furla’s offices in Milan (via WWD), Furlanetto proudly flaunted her Mantra bag that she brings with her everywhere, saying it was the brand’s top-selling items. The bag is made using vegetable tanning, a treatment from plant-based tanning.
The bag was launched last year as part of her special projects focused on sustainability in manufacturing, which tended to regularly sell out due to its innovativeness.
Furla, like many other brands, is becoming more aware and attentive to these recurring themes impacting consumer behavior.
What do you think of these fashion houses increasingly banning fur production?
Do you agree or disagree? Leave your comments below!