Prada to Eliminate Fur by 2020

Starting February 2020, the Prada Group—which includes fashion brands such as Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s, and Car Shoe—will no longer use fur in its designs. “The Prada Group is committed to innovation and social responsibility, and our fur-free policy—reached following a positive dialogue with the Fur Free Alliance, in particular with LAV and the Humane Society of the United States—is an extension of that engagement,” Miuccia Prada, head designer at Prada and founder of Miu Miu, said. “Focusing on innovative materials will allow the company to explore new boundaries of creative design while meeting the demand for ethical products.” A growing number of fashion brands have committed to removing fur from their designs, including Burberry, Versace, Gucci, Chanel, Coach, Donna Karan, and Michael Kors/Jimmy Choo, among others, that have implemented fur-free policies in the last two years. “With Prada’s fur-free announcement, one of the biggest names in fashion just became a leader in animal welfare and innovation for generations to come,” PJ Smith, Director of Fashion Policy at The Humane Society of the United States, said. Claire Bass, Executive Director of Humane Society International/United Kingdom, called upon legislators in the UK to make Britain the first fur-free country in the world, citing recently implemented fur bans in cities across California and a ban that is currently under consideration in New York. “Prada Group’s historic announcement to go fur-free comes at a time when an unprecedented number of designers are turning their backs on the cruel fur trade and are fronting fashion based on fabric innovation instead of animal exploitation. Anti-fur policies like Prada Groups’ prove that forgoing fur isn’t a fast-fashion trend, it’s a step change to meet the demands of ever more socially and environmentally conscious consumers.”