British department store Harvey Nichols has confirmed it is finally ditching fur from its online and physical stores…
Harvey Nichols has become the latest retailer to announce it is ditching fur.
The British department store originally banned animal fur in 2004, but U-turned on its policy in 2013, selling fur products from several brands including Yves Solomon, CP Company, Canada Goose, and Moncler.
Now, the retailer has confirmed it will begin ‘phasing out’ the sale of fur or fur-trimmed products both online and in stores.
Speaking to the Mirror, a Harvey Nichols spokesperson said the retailer will be ‘completely fur-free by the end of 2023.’.
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Harvey Nichols bans fur
The move follows an investigation into Chinese fur farms by Humane Society International UK – which found ‘heart-wrenching’ scenes of animal cruelty.
Many of the older animals were found to be exhibiting behaviours signifying psychological distress, such as repetitively pacing their tiny cages.
The investigation also showed a raccoon dog cub struggling to walk on wire mesh floor in a cage, adult foxes peering out from cages barely longer than their body length, and mink circling around in dirty cages, above piles of excrement.
An ‘iconic moment’
In a statement sent to Vegan Food & Living, Claire Bass of HSI UK described the news as an ‘iconic moment’ for the organisation’s Fur Free Britain campaign.
“This world-famous British department store has come to the inevitable conclusion that so-called ‘ethical fur’ simply doesn’t exist and fur farming flies in the face of any credible notion of sustainability,” she added.
“Harvey Nichols’ compassionate stance now leaves the handful of remaining retailers that continue to sell fur looking increasingly isolated.”
Fur bans
The world is fast falling out of love with fur, with large companies like Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Hong Kong-based Global Brands Group — which licenses more than a dozen brands, including Calvin Klein and All Saints – ditching fur from their collections.
Additionally, countries and cities around the world, including Los Angeles and Isreal, are now banning the sale and import of fur products.
Last week, California’s ‘monumental’ fur ban finally came into effect, three years after the Assembly Bill 44 was passed. The state has made history, officially becoming the first in the US to ‘take a step to end the fur trade within its borders’.
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