Luxury brands falling behind on animal welfare

While the fashion industry is improving overall on animal welfare, some of the world’s largest luxury fashion houses continue to use fur and exotic animal skins

Despite recent commitments from the luxury fashion industry to reduce its environmental footprint, a report has revealed luxury fashion brands are among the worst in the industry for animal welfare, driven by their continued use of fur and exotic animal skins.

As bans on the use of fur become more commonplace, the Animal Welfare in Fashion report highlights how out of step many luxury brands are with the rest of the industry.

Released on 6 December 2021 by global animal welfare organisation, Four Paws, the report assessed 111 brands across different markets, including Australia, on their commitment to animal welfare and sourcing transparency. While LVMH-owned Stella McCartney achieved the report’s highest score of 90%, the luxury sector fared the worst overall, receiving an average score of just 23% (lower than fast fashion at 53%).

The luxury sector’s attitude to fur changed significantly during 2021. In June Canada Goose stated they would stop using fur by 2022, in September, luxury conglomerate Kering announced all of its brands, including Gucci and Balenciaga, would stop using fur and the same month Oscar de la Renta also agreed to cease using fur, a move the New York Times reported was brokered by singer Billie Eilish.

MarkMeets editorial and advertising content does not allow any fur when approached to comment by The Guardian.
The highest performing fashion category was – unsurprisingly – “sustainability”, with an average score of 76%; closely followed by brands in the “outdoor” category, with an average score of 71%. One Australian brand, streetwear label Afends, ranked in the report’s Top 10.

The report calls for brands to reduce the use of animal products, refine animal-based supply chain choices to encourage higher levels of welfare, and to replace animal products with sustainable alternatives.

A spokesperson for Hermès said they have “science-based animal welfare policies and a commitment to converge by 2024 toward best-in-class certification” and can ensure strict control of the supply chain, in particular the traceability of leather materials.

The burden of change should not fall solely on brands. “Farms, which are at the start of the process, must be made accountable to how their animals, whether farmed-on-demand or a by-product, are being treated.”