The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
MILAN, Italy — Giorgio Armani has agreed to stop using fur for all its products, following years of lobbying by animal rights activists.
Armani said in a statement Tuesday that new technologies "render the use of cruel practices unnecessary as regards animals." The Armani group will be fur-free from the autumn/winter 2016 collection.
Fur Free Alliance chairman Joh Vinding said the announcement "makes it clear that designers and consumers can have creative freedom and luxury all without supporting animal cruelty."
Humane Society International called Armani's pledge "probably the most powerful message yet that killing animals for their fur is never fashionable," adding that designers who continue to use fur "are looking increasingly isolated."
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Armani joins Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren in switching to synthetic alternatives.
To join the debate on whether fur has a place in fashion, have your say on BoF Voices.
The luxury goods maker is seeking pricing harmonisation across the globe, and adjusts prices in different markets to ensure that the company is”fair to all [its] clients everywhere,” CEO Leena Nair said.
Hermes saw Chinese buyers snap up its luxury products as the Kelly bag maker showed its resilience amid a broader slowdown in demand for the sector.
The group’s flagship Prada brand grew more slowly but remained resilient in the face of a sector-wide slowdown, with retail sales up 7 percent.
The guidance was issued as the French group released first-quarter sales that confirmed forecasts for a slowdown. Weak demand in China and poor performance at flagship Gucci are weighing on the group.