Sustainability is on the rise and has been since the 1980s. On January 31, Italian luxury fashion house Dolce&Gabbana confirmed its commitment to ban fur in all future collections.

The announcement was welcomed by animal rights groups such as In Defense of Animals (IDA), Humane Society International, and the Fur Free Alliance. 

Just last month, the Italian Senate voted in favour of banning fur farming and the breeding of fur-bearing animals. 

IDA Communications Director Fleur Dawes said in a statement, “fur and angora cause extreme cruelty to animals, and we appreciate Dolce&Gabbana’s efforts to set the trend for compassion”. 

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Previously, Dolce&Gabbana have used animal furs in its designs, but it is now embracing faux fur more than ever. The fashion house will continue to work with fur artisans to integrate faux fur, which is sustainably made with synthetic fabrics and recycled materials — the brand calls it “eco-fur”.

Fedele Usai, communications and marketing officer at Dolce&Gabbana, affirmed that a sustainable future in fashion cannot be achieved with the usage of animal fur.

“The entire fashion system has a significant social responsibility role that must be promoted and encouraged: we will integrate innovative materials into our collections and develop environmentally friendly production processes, while at the same time preserving artisans’ jobs and know-how otherwise in danger of fading”. 

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In recent years, more brands have been joining in on this movement such as Moncler, Gucci and Bottega Veneta all going fur-free. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian West had switched to faux fur in 2019, and Billie Eilish even convinced American brand Oscar de la Renta to go fur-free in 2021’s Met Gala. The sustainability wave is definitely here to stay and we are expecting more brands to join this worthy cause.

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