I’m sure you will have already heard but Gucci has announced that it is committed to becoming fur free next year, beginning with the SS18 collection.
Fur Free
The brand has said that it will no longer use animal fur such as coyote, mink, fox, rabbit and karakul (a type of domestic sheep). If Gucci wants to be seen as being socially responsible then this is definitely a step in the right direction.
The remaining items of clothing that feature fur are going to be sold off in an auction with the proceeds being donated to the Humane Society International (an animal rights organisation) and LAV (an organisation that takes legal action to assert animal rights). The brand is also joining the fur alliance which is an international organisation that campaigns for animal welfare and it encourages the fashion industry to find alternatives to fur.
The Future
There are many brands that are fur free like Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss and Vivenne Westwood. Last year they were joined by Armani who also committed not to use fur.
Gucci is incredibly popular at the moment and when a brand at the top of their game makes a statement like this surely the rest of the luxury fashion industry will follow. This decision should have a knock on effect to every fashion brand.
The High Street
I’m sure at the start of this year it was discovered Missguided were selling real fur as fake fur. Tests were carried out that confirmed cat fur was used on a pair of shoes.
It was also claimed real fur was being sold as faux fur on a concession in House of Fraser. Both brands took the matter seriously and launched investigations, removing products from sale.
Many people believe if a product is cheap then it must be faux fur. We link real fur with luxury branded items. This really isn’t the case as fur can actually be sourced very cheaply. If you’re concerned when you pick up a product you can part the fur and check whether it’s joined to fabric or skin/ pelt. Also if the ends of the fur go into a point it is generally a sign of real fur.
Hopefully with luxury brands getting on board the fur free train this message will filter down to the high street. There are so many materials available now that means using fur is just outdated as well as cruel. Acrylic fur has come a long way so there is no need to use the real thing.
I would love to see the future of fashion as fur free, what do you think?
