Prada joins Armani, Burberry and Gucci by ditching animal fur from its collections
Luxury fashion house Prada said on Wednesday it will remove animal fur from its collections – joining a lengthening list of designers to make that choice.
Prada’s decision, to take effect with its women’s spring/summer 2020 collections, was welcomed by several animal protection associations.
The Italian fashion house said its decision stemmed from “a positive dialogue” with the Fur Free Alliance (FFA) of more than 50 associations in about 40 countries, notably the Italian group LAV and The Humane Society of the United States.
Other major names to have renounced the use of animal fur include Armani, Burberry, DKNY, Donna Karan, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Gucci, Michael Kors and Versace.
[Prada] is committed to innovation and social responsibility, and our fur-free policy ... is an extension of that engagement
Prada “is committed to innovation and social responsibility, and our fur-free policy ... is an extension of that engagement”, Miuccia Prada, Prada’s head designer, said.
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“Focusing on innovative materials will allow the company to explore new boundaries of creative design while meeting the demand for ethical products.”
The Prada statement also included reactions from several animal protection groups.
Brigit Oele, programme manager of FFA, said: “This global movement is gaining momentum fast and it’s very unlikely that fur will ever return as an acceptable trend. This is a great day for animals!”
The fur industry has scorned the trend towards fur-free fashion.
This global movement is gaining momentum fast and it’s very unlikely that fur will ever return as an acceptable trend. This is a great day for animals!
Mark Oaten, of The International Fur Federation, said: “I am surprised that a brand who care about sustainability are banning a natural product like fur.
“Now Prada customers will only have plastic fur as an option, which is bad for the planet. I urge Prada to think again and trust its own consumers to decide if they want to buy real or fake fur.”
Fur represents a fraction of most fashion groups’ sales in fact and, while figures for Prada were not available, at rival Gucci – which stopped using fur in 2018 – it accounted for just 0.16 per cent of the total.
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Prada and the others might attract younger customers with the decision because they are more likely to take ethical considerations into account according to sector specialists.
Nina Marston, a fashion analyst at Euromonitor International, said that “industry players face increasing pressure to take a stance on ethical issues such as animal cruelty.”
Industry players face increasing pressure to take a stance on ethical issues such as animal cruelty
Her group found that 28 per cent of millennial consumers worldwide said that “buying eco-friendly or ethically conscious products make them feel good”.
Prada’s move will therefore “further its appeal to the growing number of Millennial and Gen Z consumers, who are vital to the future of the luxury industry”, Marston said.
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- Fashion house says move, which will take effect with its women’s spring/summer 2020 collections, follows ‘positive’ discussions with animal rights groups