Gucci’s Parent Company Vows To Make All Its Brands Fur-Free For Good
Image via Manuel Esteban / Shutterstock.com
Kering, the parent company behind luxury houses such as Gucci and Saint Laurent, has announced it’s going fur-free across all of its brands.
While Gucci had already ditched fur four years ago, as did Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, and Alexander McQueen, the firm said the material was “not modern” anymore, and all of its brands will stop using fur come Fall 2022. The new stand will see Saint Laurent and Brioni turn away from the material as well.
Kering Chairman François-Henri Pinault told Business Of Fashion why fur was so sought-after in the past. He said: “[fur] is symbolic; it’s a material that was very much linked to the luxury industry historically.”
“Some materials have no place in luxury,” he explained, citing ethical and environmental responsibility as reasons the company is boycotting the material.
According to Input, aside from leather, other animal fibers used by Kering’s brands will have to comply with the updated policies set back in 2019.
Each fashion house had to “verify the humane treatment of animals across the Group’s supply chains,” which included “detailed requirements for the treatment of cattle, calves, sheep, and goats throughout their entire lives, as well as guidelines for [slaughter houses].”
As seen in a report by Bijleveld, et al, cited by the Fur Free Alliance, 1kg (2.2 lbs) of mink fur produces the same amount of greenhouse emissions as 110kg (22 lbs) of CO2. In fact, an average of 563 (1,241 lbs) of feed is needed to make just 1kg of fur, making it incredibly inefficiently produced.
It’s heartening to see luxury fashion brands turning towards more eco-conscious materials, and ditching materials associated with animal cruelty, such as fur. While the over-consumption of such high-end goods is a problem in itself, it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
“Young consumers and young millennials also expect now that companies pay attention to these values,” said Kering’s Sustainability Chief Marie-Claire Daveu.
“And if you have the power, how can you say it’s terrible, but I won’t act?”
[via Input and Business Of Fashion, cover image via Manuel Esteban / Shutterstock.com]
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