Fashion giant Kering, which owns luxury brands including Gucci and Balenciaga, says the angora and rabbit ban has been 'reinforced internally'
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Kering – which owns luxury brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga – has confirmed its ban on using angora and rabbit felt.
The fashion giant stopped using rabbit fur back in 2021, but had yet to implement a policy against angora and rabbit-fur derivatives.
Just last year, Gucci sparked uproar after selling hats made from rabbit felt, resulting in animal advocates calling out the company’s ‘no-fur loophole’.
Angora and rabbit felt ban
Vegan charity PETA, which has had shares in the company since 2020, has lobbied for this to change.
It says it has recently received confirmation saying Kering’s fur ban has been ‘explicitly reinforced internally’ to ensure no future products contain ‘rabbit hair or skin’.
To celebrate this move, PETA’s French subsidiary will be sending the company a vegan cake in the shape of a rabbit.
‘Compassionate decision’
PETA’s Vice President of Corporate Projects Yvonne Taylor hailed the ‘compassionate decision’ and urged other brands still selling angora to stop.
She added: “Angora and rabbit felt are torture for these sensitive animals, whose fur is either torn out while they’re still fully conscious or shorn off after they’ve been electrocuted or their necks have been broken.”
Kering now joins a slew of more than 400 brands and retailers that have committed to a ban on angora. These include iconic names such as Burberry, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, and Lacoste.
Want to be a cruelty-free fashionista? Check out these common vegan fashion dilemmas (and how to solve them!)
Featured image © AGEphotography via Getty Images
