Animal activists protested outside the Giorgio Armani show during Milan Fashion Week, calling for a full ban on fur-using brands. The demonstration is part of a series organized by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade to pressure the event's organizers. While some major brands have rejected fur, holdouts like Fendi continue to feature it in collections.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Giorgio Armani show on Sunday during Milan Fashion Week, demanding that the event adopt a fully fur-free policy. The activists, organized under the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT), stood behind a barricade with a large banner reading "Milan Fashion Week Go Fur-Free." They used a megaphone to yell "Shame on you for what you do!" as guests left the venue.
Although the Armani Group went fur-free a decade ago, campaigners hope the luxury company can influence the National Chamber of Italian Fashion (CNMI), which organizes the event, to exclude brands that use fur. This Sunday demonstration followed earlier protests, including one on Wednesday outside Fendi's Milan headquarters, where its runway show occurred.
At Fendi, newly appointed designer Maria Grazia Chiuri presented a collection featuring "remodelled" furs, which are reworked from old pelts. Fendi, owned by the French conglomerate LVMH and known for its fur roots, remains a notable holdout. Its chief executive, Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou, serves on the CNMI board alongside anti-fur brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, and Ermenegildo Zegna.
Alberto Bianchi, a 25-year-old protest organizer, told AFP: "It won’t be Fendi that helps us reach our goal, because they have no interest in pushing this issue forward, but other brands might be able to contribute." On the Fendi collection, Bianchi noted that the recycling focus could be seen as "a step forward" but described it as potential "greenwashing," adding, "As long as we still have fur farms in Europe and we still have the possibility of importing it, it’s a gesture that doesn't change the underlying idea."
Use of fur in the global fashion industry has declined sharply in recent years due to concerns over animal cruelty, shifting trends, and synthetic alternatives. London and New York Fashion Weeks have banned fur, as have smaller events in Berlin, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam. The CNMI did not respond to an AFP request for comment.
The activists recently achieved a win when pressure led shipping giant DHL and cosmetics company Wella to withdraw as sponsors in late January. Later this month, the European Commission is expected to rule on a 2023 citizens' initiative seeking to ban fur farms and the killing of animals like mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, and chinchillas for their pelts. Activists highlight the cruelty of fur farming, where animals are kept in tiny wire battery cages before being gassed or electrocuted.
Milan Fashion Week concludes on Monday, with attention shifting to Paris Fashion Week, which also lacks an anti-fur policy.