There is a lot we don’t know about this year’s Emmys ceremony. Will Zendaya take Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Euphoria for the third time? Or maybe it will go to Rhea Seehorn for the popular new sci-fi Pluribus. Martin Short might emerge triumphant for Only Murders in the Building, and maybe the much-buzzed-about Love Story will win a clean sweep.
It’s all yet to be determined. But one thing we do know for certain is that none of these television stars will be wearing animal fur to walk the red carpet in September.
The Television Academy—the not-for-profit organization behind the Emmys—is banning fur from all gowns and outfits at its ceremonies. This makes the Emmys one of the first major awards shows to enact such a ban, although several high-end designers have introduced their own bans in recent years.
“The Emmys are helping shape a more ethical future for fashion and entertainment. It’s an inspiring decision and a real win for wildlife,” said Suzie Stork, executive director of the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT).
Run by five animal rights activists, the coalition was founded in the 1990s to end the use of fur across the US.
A fur-free fashion industry
The Television Academy’s historic fur ban further builds on the momentum already spreading across the fashion world. Just last year, Vogue, one of the most influential publications in the industry, and mass media company Condé Nast revealed a new fur-free strategy.
“This is huge,” Kitty Block, CEO of Humane World for Animals, wrote at the time. “These legacy publishing brands have a significant influence on pop culture trends, helping to shape how the public perceives what is fashionable. Condé Nast reaches more than 1 billion people across the world through print, digital, video, and social platforms,” she continued. “Prohibiting images of fur in its publications disrupts the idea that fur is glamorous or even acceptable.”
Pexels
Elle and parent company Hearst also banned fur from its pages in 2021. The following year, Dolce & Gabbana joined a growing number of designers when it decided to move away from fur.
“Dolce & Gabbana is working towards a more sustainable future that can’t contemplate the use of animal fur,” Fedele Usai, Group Communication and Marketing Officer at Dolce & Gabbana, said in a statement at the time. “The entire fashion system has a significant social responsibility role that must be promoted and encouraged.”
In truth, with major designers and fashion publications rejecting fur, there probably wouldn’t have been much of it left on the Emmys red carpet come September. But the Television Academy’s public announcement still carries weight. It’s another sign that the fashion industry is steadily moving towards a totally fur-free future.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
