It might have only been a few seasons ago that Gucci sent a $19000USD pink fur coat down the runway but Marco Bizzarri, president and CEO of Gucci, has announced that the Italian fashion house will go fur-free next year. Bizzarri made the announcement during a talk held at the London College of Fashion.
“Do you think using furs today is still modern? I don’t think it’s still modern and that’s the reason why we decided not to do that. It’s a little bit out-dated,” Bizzarri told Business of Fashion in an interview prior to his talk.
“New technology presents unlimited possibilities in terms of textiles and it would be a mistake for us not to be at the forefront of this,” the chief executive said. “We need to invest in these start-ups because they can disrupt the sector in terms of sustainability, achieving the same quality of leather production for instance, without any water or chemical waste.”
Bizzarri also credited creative director Alessandro Michele during the announcement. “In selecting a new creative director I wanted to find someone who shared a belief in the importance of the same values,” Bizzarri said. “I sensed that immediately on meeting Alessandro for the first time.”
Gucci’s fur-free approach to fashion will come into action with the house’s spring/summer 2018 collection. Remaining fur items will be auctioned off with all proceeds going to animal rights organisations including Humane Society International. “Gucci going fur free is a huge game changer. For this powerhouse to end the use of fur because of the cruelty involved will have a huge ripple effect throughout the world of fashion. A staggering 100 million animals a year still suffer for the fur industry, but that can only be sustained for as long as designers continue to use fur and consumers purchase it. So we commend Gucci’s compassionate decision, and for helping to ensure that the future of fashion is fur free,” said Kitty Block, president of Humane Society International.
