Giorgio Armani to Cease Using Fur

According to our fashion marketing team in Los Angeles, The Armani Group has just announced that it will cease production of garments utilizing animal fur starting with 2016’s fall collection.

Fur’s use as a fabric is an incredibly divisive decision that garners much debate within the fashion industry. PETA, America’s preeminent animal rights organization, is celebrating this large victory because it has spent years trying to dissuade the Armani Group from using fur.

The Armani Group announced that they were in the process of making an agreement with both the Fur Free Alliance and The Humane society of the United States that promises their stopping the production of fur-related products.

Giorgio Armani, the lead designer for the Armani Group, explained that they are ceasing to use fur due to their concern for both animals and the environment.

Another reason that Armani is ceasing fur production is because of technological advancements within the industry; years of progress in fabric experimentation has led to alternative faux-furs that are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.

Armani has been a gigantic target in the past for PETA’s past fur-protesting endeavors. Before a couture show in 2007, Armani spoke with PETA and swore off using fur in any of his upcoming collections. However, Armani did an about-face in 2008. He started producing children’s clothing featuring rabbit fur. In retaliation, PETA made a blog post calling Armani a liar. In addition, they posted a digitally manipulated portrait of Armani’s face with a Pinocchio-esque nose outside of an Australian Emporio Armani store.

In 2012, PETA organized a radical protest against an Emporio Armani store in Sydney, Australia. PETA had three women lay down inside coffins. Pretending to be dead, the three women held flowers as well as a signs pleading for Armani to stop producing fur garments.

Armani is one of the biggest fashion houses in the world. Their decision against using fur could inspire other houses to follow suit; Giorgio’s decision could shake the industry to its core.

To learn more about how the use of fur is currently viewed at large in the fashion industry, read here.