“The world has changed and the end of the use of fur is aligned with the course of History.”

One of the world’s most influential fashion magazines ELLE has announced that it will ban fur content across all of its pages.

The move makes it the first publication to make a global fur-free commitment.

The announcement was made at Business of Fashion’s 2021 VOICES event in London

ELLE created a charter to ensure that there will be no animal fur in editorials, press images, runway and street style images in future editions.

 The charter is in alignment with the Fur Free Alliance’s definition of fur.

It comes following dialogue between the media empire and the Humane Society of the United States among other animal rights groups.

The ban will span across the ELLE network including 45 editions worldwide. The magazine caters to nearly 21 million readers and sells 6.6 million copies every month. It has a cumulative reach of 175 million worldwide

ELLE editions that signed the fur-free pledge include:  Arabia (English and Arabic editions), Argentina, Australia, Belgium (Flemish and French editions), Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada (English and French editions), China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, USA and Vietnam. 

13 editions of the monthly lifestyle magazines including ELLE UK have already dropped fur. 20 more will drop it from 1 January 2022 and the rest will start a year later.

‘Promote a fur-free future’

In a press release, Constance Benqué, CEO Lagardère News and CEO ELLE International said: “Societal engagement has always been one of the key pillars of the ELLE brand.

“The world has changed and the end of the use of fur is aligned with the course of History.

“We hope that, with this commitment, ELLE will open the path for other media to disallow fur promotion, all around the globe, and promote a fur-free future.” 

‘Positive change’

PJ Smith, director of fashion policy for the HSUS and HSI, added: “We celebrate ELLE for taking a stand against the cruel fur trade and look forward other fashion magazines following their lead. 

“This announcement will ignite positive change throughout the entire fashion industry and has the potential to save countless animals from a life of suffering and a cruel death.

“ELLE’s leadership will also drive innovation for more sustainable and humane alternatives.”  

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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