Valentino to Go Fur-Free By 2022

This coming fall will be Valentino’s last collection that uses animal fur. Valentino has pledged to go fur-free by 2022 and Polar – the brand’s Milan-based fur subsidiary – will also close. The fur industry kills 100 million animals for fur each year.

Valentino is not the first high-end fashion brand to phase out the use of animal fur in its clothing. Prada, Gucci, Armani, Versace, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, and Tommy Hilfiger have all made the decision to discontinue the use of fur in their products.

The commitment of luxury brands to stop using animal fur is a huge win for animal rights. Foxes and minks are exploited and are often living on cramped fur farms before they are killed to be used in fur products.

The fashion industry, in general, is rethinking the ethicality of animal fur. Back in 2018, The British Fashion Council decided to ban any animal fur from London Fashion Week.

Europe isn’t the only region making efforts to ban fur clothing. In 2019, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors became the first major city to ban the selling of new fur products. Additionally, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law that bans the sale of new fur clothing made from mink, sable, chinchilla, lynx, fox, rabbit, beaver, and coyote in 2019.

“Valentino dropping fur is 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 Like so many other designers, Valentino knows that using fur makes brands look outdated and out of touch,” Martina Pluda, director of Humane Society International/Italy said in a statement to Humane Society International.

A 2020 YouGov survey said people associate the selling of fur products with the words “unethical,” “out of touch” and “cruel.”

Audrey Nakagawa is the content creator intern at EcoWatch. She is a senior at James Madison University studying Media, Art, and Design, with a concentration in journalism. She’s a reporter for The Breeze in the culture section and writes features on Harrisonburg artists, album reviews, and topics related to mental health and the environment. She was also a contributor for Virginia Reports where she reported on the impact that COVID-19 had on college students.