“Nearly 80% of Brits associate brands that use fur with the words ‘cruel’, ‘outdated’, ‘unethical’ or ‘out of touch’ so it’s clear that fur is a sinking ship in PR terms.”

Kering-owned fashion brands Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga have gone fur-free.

The announcement, which came in Kering’s 2020 Universal Registration report follows the Humane Society International (HSI) working with the parent company for more than a decade on adopting a fur-free policy.

According to HSI, an opinion poll commissioned by them in 2020 found that 93% of Brits reject wearing real animal fur, and 72% support a sales ban on fur.

The poll results tie in with Vogues Business, which revealed that while demand for animal fur has been falling, sales for vegan fashion items have increased by 258 % in the US and the UK alone.

‘Fur is a sinking ship’

“We are thrilled that yet another iconic British fashion figure has taken a stand against the cruel fur industry and joined the growing list of fur-free designers,” Claire Bass, the executive director of Humane Society International/UK, said.

“By removing fur from its collections, Alexander McQueen is in tune with the British public, the vast majority of whom do not wear fur.

“Polls show that nearly 80% of Brits associate brands that use fur with the words ‘cruel’, ‘outdated’, ‘unethical’ or ‘out of touch’ so it’s clear that fur is a sinking ship in PR terms.”

She added: “This is a notable fur-free milestone worth celebrating and we encourage the government to acknowledge it as further evidence that Britain is ready for a fur sales ban this year.”

While UK has banned fur farms since 2003, the despicable material is still imported from other countries and the government is currently weighing its decision of implementing a ban on the sale of fur.

‘Humane and innovative materials are the future of fashion’

According to Kitty Block, the CEO of Humane Society International: “Every time a big fashion name like Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga goes fur-free, it sends a clear message that fur has no place in modern society.

“This is a statement that consumers care more about sustainable solutions than the fur trim on a bag or a coat. We look forward to continuing our work with Kering, and the rest of the fashion industry, to ensure that humane and innovative materials are the future of fashion.”

Fur-free labels

With the announcement, the fashion labels join other Kering owned brands including Gucci, which previously announced a ban on fur in 2017, and Bottega Veneta has been fur-free for 20 years.

Saint Laurent and Brioni are the only remaining Kering brands still to announce fur-free policies.

In recent years, a growing list of designers has ditched fur including Prada, Armani, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry, and Chanel.

Recently sustainable fashion designer Stella McCartney, who has never used fur in her designs recently created the ‘world-first’ garments made from renewable vegan mushroom leather.

She, along with Kering, and two other brands have formed a consortium with California-based Bolt Threads to develop the biomaterials company’s vegan leather- Mylo into sustainable fashion items.

• Read: Top UK fashion designers call on Boris Johnson to ban fur sales

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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