Famous high-end British fashion label Burberry has announced that they are phasing out real fur from all their fashion products, joining the ranks of designers like John Galliano, Stella McCartney, Versace, Michael Kors, Gucci and many more.
Set to showcase new lines at the esteemed London Fashion Week later this month, the fashion giants have promised there will be no real fur at the event.
“Modern luxury means being socially and environmentally responsible,” said Burberry’s new Chief Executive Officer Marco Gobbetti. “This belief is core to us at Burberry and key to our long-term success. We are committed to applying the same creativity to all parts of Burberry as we do to our products.”
In addition to this humane move, the fashion powerhouse released a statement saying they will stop the practice of destroying old, unwanted stock, effective immediately.
Previously, any clothing, leather, or beauty products left unsold were incinerated in order to protect the brand’s image and avoid knock-offs of their products. After environmental activists protested this wasteful practice — which saw 28.6 million pounds ($36 million) worth of goods burned last year alone — the company vowed to make every effort to “re-use, repair, donate or recycle unsaleable products.”
It’s encouraging to see the list of designers who recognize that fur is cruelty, not fashion growing steadily; however, there are many who continue to support this barbaric industry, including Fendi, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Karl Lagerfeld, and Yves Saint Laurent.
The fur industry is horrifically inhumane. Animals are kept in shocking conditions; living in tiny, dirty cages where not one of their natural behavioral needs is met. Many are sick and injured and often suffer from severe emotional and mental trauma.
With modern technology more than capable of producing quality synthetic and sustainable materials, there’s simply no excuse to murder animals simply for “fashion.” We hope that with Burberry’s recent move away from fur, the pressure increases on those designers that have yet to wake up to the atrocities.
