Dolce & Gabbana to Stop Using Fur in Its Designs

They join a growing number of fashion brands that have eliminated opulent fur coats and trims from their assortments. Last year, Canada Goose Holdings Inc., GOOS 4.28% the Toronto outfitter known for its more-than-$1,000 parkas with coyote fur around the hood, said it was going fur-free. In September, Kering SA, KER 1.31% the French fashion conglomerate declared that its portfolio of tony fashion brands, including Saint Laurent and Brioni, would cease using fur in 2022.

Gucci, the celebrity-favorite fashion label, which is owned by Kering, had already stepped back from using fur in 2018. Michael Kors, Prada 1913 2.48% SpA and Chanel SA have instituted similar animal-pelt bans in recent years.

These decisions have helped put a dent in the fur market. According to the International Fur Federation, a trade group representing fur farmers, retailers and fashion companies, the estimated value of the global fur trade market fell from $40 billion in 2017 to $15 billion in 2020. In 2019, California became the first U.S. state to ban the sale of new clothing produced from fur. A similar bill has been proposed in New York state.

Certain luxury labels still cling to their pelts. Louis Vuitton offers 28 mink products on its website, including a $25,900 monogram-logo hoodie and a $2,190 scarf. Fendi, which was founded in 1925 as a family bag and fur seller in Rome, likewise sells a multitude of pricey fur goods in its stores.

Fendi and Louis Vuitton are owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE. In a statement, LVMH said it is “committed to respecting everyone’s choice” when it comes to fur and that its fashion houses “comply with the highest local and international regulations regarding the fur trade and will not use furs from threatened species.”

Fendi has been flaunting fur less in recent years. In 2018, the label changed the name of its artisanal fashion collection from Haute Fourrure (French for “fur”) to Haute Couture, and shifted the line to encompass a wider assortment of non-fur pieces.

Kitty Block, the chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, said consumers are at a tipping point when considering “what we buy and how it impacts the environment, how it impacts the animals, and our world.” In the recent past, animal-rights protesters have frequently targeted boutiques run by brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Moncler.

Fur advocates likewise cite the environment in their counterarguments. Mark Oaten, chief executive of the International Fur Federation, characterizes animal pelts as a “natural item that lasts for generations and is biodegradable unlike the fake fur made from chemical based items.”

Brands that eliminate fur often turn to synthetic alternatives. Gucci is presently selling a range of ritzy fur-lookalike designs, including a $7,100 cream-colored faux fur coat produced from a blend of modacryl, acrylic and polyester. Environmentally conscious shoppers can be turned off by man-made synthetic materials and many brands are exploring fur alternatives produced from existing materials.

Dolce & Gabbana plans to employ a variety of recycled, non-fur, materials to generate fur-like products that it is dubbing “eco-fur.” A pair of shaggy, mink-looking outfits shown during its recent fall 2022 men’s show in Milan were constructed from these animal-free alternatives.

Write to Jacob Gallagher at [email protected]