Gucci Goes Fur Free

For those of you dying to buy a pair of furry Gucci loafers, you better hurry: the brand has recently announced that they plan to go fur-free as early as 2018.

However, animal lovers shouldn’t be rejoicing yet. The fashion industry still has a long way to go when it comes to animal cruelty. Alexander Wang, Burberry, Chloe, Dior, and Fendi are just a handful of the many companies that still use fur and have no plans to stop in the future. In fact, according to the New York Times, 73 percent of the fashion shows that took place in New York, London, Milan, and Paris during 2015 featured fur.

This begs the question: With outspoken animal rights activists frequently going after brands that still use fur, coupled with the rise in quality faux fur, why do brands insist on continuing to use what many see as an outdated material?

Well, predictably, the answer comes down to the thing that drives most companies to make their decisions: money. The fur industry is worth 40 billion dollars and employs a million people, according to a study released by the International Fur Trade Federation. That same study reported that global fur sales more than doubled from 2011 to 2013, going from 15.6 billion dollars to 35.8 billion dollars.

The fashion industry has helped to increase fur sales by creating lighter versions of the material in order to sell to international markets that have hotter climates, such as Dubai. Fashion companies also claim that more industry regulation has led to humane treatment of animals in fur farms in the United States. Proponents of fur use also state that it is actually more sustainable than other materials, because it is durable, recyclable, and biodegradable.

Critics of the fur industry, however, say that, although practices in the United States may have become more ethical in recent years, the vast majority of fur production still takes place in China, where the practice is less regulated. They say that leads to horrifying treatment for animals, which PETA detailed on social media in a gruesome video exposé.

The future of fur in the fashion industry isn’t clear -- it’s a fight between a 40 billion dollar industry and a network of activists finding their voice through protests and on social media. One thing is for sure, which is that you’ll be seeing a lot less 995 dollar Kangaroo fur Gucci slides, which is probably a good thing.