“At this rate, not a single designer will still be selling fur next year—and no wonder, since no kind shopper will buy it.”

Luxury fashion house Valentino has decided to take a ‘fur-free stance’.

The iconic Italian designer is the latest brand to announce that it will phase out fur from all future collections by 2022.

The move is part of the brand’s decision to become a more ethical, eco-friendly business.

As part of its efforts to redefine and reinvigorate the brand, the company is also shutting down its fur subsidiary, Valentino Polar.

“The fur-free stance is perfectly in-line with the values of our company,” Valentino CEO Jacopo Venturini said in a statement.

“We are moving full-steam ahead in the research for alternative materials in view of a greater attention to the environment for the upcoming collections.”

Fur-free fashion

Valentino joins a growing list of luxury fashion houses that have removed fur from their collections.

Last month, Saks Fifth Avenue announced it will stop selling fur and all animal-fur clothes and accessories will be off its shelves by 2023.

Other major fashion houses that have stopped selling fur include  Nordstrom,  Macy’s, Alexander McQueen, and Balenciaga.

According to Tracy Margolies, chief marketing officer of Saks Fifth Avenue, ‘customer preferences and social changes’ prompted the brand to remove the cruelly obtained fabric.

“We are aware that trends are constantly evolving and that the sale of fur remains an important social problem. Therefore, it is currently the right step for us to remove it from our range,” she added.

 ‘Changing with the times’

 Animal welfare organisations, which have long called for fashion houses and brands to stop using fur welcomed the move.

PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman in response to Valentino’s fur-free announcement said: “After more than a decade of campaigning—including protests and runway disruptions—by PETA and our international affiliates, Valentino has announced that it will ban fur.

“Cheers went up at PETA HQ today at the news that even the fashion house that sewed mink fur on sneakers is changing with the times. At this rate, not a single designer will still be selling fur next year—and no wonder, since no kind shopper will buy it.”

Martina Pluda, Italy director for campaign group Humane Society International, described Valentino’s decision as ” a major nail in the coffin for the cruel fur trade”.

“Like so many other designers, Valentino knows that using fur makes brands look outdated and out of touch, and fur industry certification schemes are little more than the hollow PR spin of an industry that kills 100 million animals for fur a year,” she said.

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

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