Big news for animals, animal lovers, activists, and all people alike: Gucci has gone fur free. In Vogue it was stated that as of the Spring 2018 collection, the company’s president and CEO, Marco Bizzarri has announced that Gucci will “no longer use, promote, or publicize animal fur.” This is a major step towards a kinder world, as the fashion industry for decades has been disguising cold-hearted cruelty as a walk on a runway.
Honestly, it’s about time. I am beyond thrilled and hopeful about the future with an act of compassion from a company as big as Gucci, but it sure took them long enough. The barbaric mindset of breeding and raising animals just to be killed for style is something I thought would have “went out of fashion” years ago…literally.
Since we’re a bit of a ways from Spring 2018 and the company is still promoting and using fur in their line, I decided to check out their website to see just how bad it is. Deep breaths…they carry everything from fox fur coats to kangaroo lined slippers. Not to mention that a pink fox fur coat ranks in at $19,000. Really, just leave it on the fox. When further discussing the company’s decision to progress into a fur-free world, CEO Marco Bizarri went on to state, “I don’t think it’s still modern and that’s the reason we decided not to do that. It’s a little bit outdated…creativity can jump in many different directions instead of using furs.” Bravo! Following the footsteps of Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and more, Bizarri is acknowledging that they don’t need the fur and skin of another being in their clothing in order to remain successful and forward. The world of fashion today offers endless opportunities for creativity in replacing furs in clothing with a more modern and logical replacement.
Progressive, diverse, and empathetic; Gucci is truly making a name for themselves outside just the world of fashion. In addition to commitment to banning fur, Gucci is making their statement even louder by linking up with Fur Free Retailer and The Humane Society to educate the public about the horrors behind their winter jackets. In order to prepare for this transition in Spring 2018, Gucci will be holding a charity auction in which they will sell off any remaining fur items and donate the funds to LAV and The Humane Society. It doesn’t stop there! Gucci is partnering up with UNICEF in a pledge to fund teenage education, justice and health. Gucci is a proud supporter of moving women forward and promoting gender diversity with over 60% of their employee positions and over half of the senior management positions being held by women. What’s not to love?
The world today is constantly moving, evolving, and progressing. Thankfully, people of all generations are waking up every day and realizing the ability they have to step forward, help one another, and minimize their negative impact on other beings in any way they can. Each individual can change in even the smallest ways to create a more compassionate world, but when a public influencer as large as Gucci makes a move towards a more diverse and caring world, it is ground breaking. We can only hope that other major companies and celebrities alike will follow suit in using their platform for change.
As a woman, an animal lover, and a being on this earth: I thank you, Gucci.