Italian fashion house Prada joins fur-free chorus

Italian fashion house Prada joins fur-free chorus
The Prada boutique in New Bond Street, London during last year's Christmas season. The fashion house announced it will stop using fur, starting with its Spring-Summer 2020 collection which launches in September 2019.
PHOTO: Reuters

MILAN - Italy's Prada will stop using animal fur in its products from the 2020 women's spring-summer collections to be presented in September, the luxury group said on Wednesday (May 22).

The decision is part of a wider trend among fashion brands to champion ethical and sustainable policies in a bid to win over environmentally-savvy younger customers.

In September, London Fashion Week declared itself fur-free for the first time, just a few days after a similar announcement from Britain's Burberry.

Other labels turning their back on fur include Italian luxury labels Versace, Gucci and Armani.

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"Focusing on innovative materials will allow the company to explore new boundaries of creative design while meeting the demand for ethical products," said creative director Miuccia Prada, who runs the company with husband Patrizio Bertelli.

The current inventory will be gradually sold down until it is exhausted.

Fur Free Alliance, a coalition of more than 50 animal protection groups round the world, praised the decision.

"Prada was one of the fastest companies to go fur-free once positive dialogue began a little more than a year ago," said the lobbying group's programme manager Brigit Oele.

The global movement against fur was gaining momentum fast, Oele said, adding it was very unlikely fur will ever return as an acceptable trend again.

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