In an agreement with the Humane Society and the Fur Free Alliance, the Armani Group has committed to stop using fur in its collections across all labels, beginning with its fall 2016 collections.
Giorgio Armani said in a statement on Tuesday, via WWD:
“I am pleased to announce that the Armani Group has made a firm commitment to abolish the use of animal fur in its collections. Technological progress made over the years allows us to have valid alternatives at our disposition that render the use of cruel practices unnecessary as regards animals. Pursuing the positive process undertaken long ago, my company is now taking a major step ahead, reflecting our attention to the critical issues of protecting and caring for the environment and animals.”
The Armani Group includes the brands Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, Armani Privé, AJ Armani Jeans, A/X Armani Exchange, Armani Junior and Armani Casa. In 2009, PETA used the term “Pinnochio Armani” to describe the designer after he made statements indicating that he would no longer use fur, and then went ahead and showed collections that included fur.
In the announcement, Humane Society president and CEO Wayne Pecelle wrote:
I had the honor of meeting with Mr. Armani in 2009 to discuss the company’s use of fur. It was obvious then that the presence of fur in some of his lines weighed heavily on his conscience. I knew then that Mr. Armani cared deeply about animals and it would be just a matter of time before he directed the switch to fur-free alternatives.
Pecelle added that Armani “was dealing with the industry-wide assumption within the fashion industry that fur equates to luxury,” an assumption that is oddly stubborn, despite the fact that faux fur these days is guilt-free, often equally (if not more) expensive, and way, way cooler.
Fur has been and continues to be a huge trend on fall runways, although as the New York Times pointed out last summer, many in the fashion industry don’t seem too keen on actually talking about it; a PETA spokesman told the Times that the fur trade aggressively courts and sponsors young designers (more on that here), “which explains why fur is still visible on runways but not so much in retail. For the average young person, fur is about as desirable as acne.”
The Armani Group joins a small but growing list of designers and retailers who have parted ways with the fur trade, like Stella McCartney, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and TopShop; Hugo Boss committed to the same Humane Society pledge last year.
Hopefully, this list continues to grow! Not really holding my breath, though:
Image via Getty.