Italy’s Gucci will stop using fur in its designs from next year after coming under pressure from animal rights activists
Italian luxury brand of fashion and leather goods house Gucci announced that the brand will officially go fur-free for the coming year.
The brand will go fur-free next year and auction off all its remaining animal fur items, Gucci’s president and CEO Marco Bizzarri said.
The changes will come into force with the brand’s spring-summer 2018 collection, Bizzarri said during a talk at the London College of Fashion.
The announcement from Gucci means that as from their Spring/Summer 2018 collection, Gucci will no longer sell pieces produced with mink, coyote, raccoon dog, fox, rabbit and any other species specially bred or caught.
Other popular brands who banned the use of real animal fur, includes Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.
Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri said the brand would no longer “use, promote or publicize animal fur” beginning with the menswear collection to be previewed in January and women swear in February.
Marco Bizzarri said it would auction off the remaining fur animal items, with proceeds to benefit animal rights charity LAV and the Humane Society.
Bizzarri further said Gucci products known for featuring fur, like its popular fur-lined loafers, will feature faux-fur, wool and “new fabric innovations” Business of Fashion reported.
According to Business of Fashion Gucci’s fur products bring in about $11.8 million a year. The use of fur-free clothes will begin with Gucci’s spring-2018 collection.
As per The Telegraph statistics, the fur industry is worth an estimated $40 billion a year.