Max Mara announces fur-free policy
The fashion group joins the growing list of brands ditching animal fur.
Fashion group Max Mara has announced that they will stop selling fur and fur products. The move comes after years of pressure from animal advocates around the globe including Species Unite.
“The Company does not sell, online nor in any of its physical retail locations, any products made with fur, nor is there the intention to introduce any products made with fur into any upcoming collections of Max Mara Fashion Group brands,” wrote an internal memo to staff, Max Mara.
A Max Mara executive also confirmed this: “Max Mara, including the Max Mara Fashion Group (MMFG) and any subsidiaries, has adopted a fur-free policy and has no intention of introducing fur into any upcoming collection for any of the MMFG brands.”
More than 16,000 Species Unite supporters signed a petition calling for Max Mara to embrace compassionate fashion by dropping fur. During Species Unite’s annual 30 Days of Action for Animals, thousands of animal activists kept the pressure on by commenting and tagging Max Mara across social media channels.
Tireless efforts to encourage the fashion group to ditch animal fur were also made by numerous other animal advocacy organizations, including Humane Society International/Europe and LAV, which flew a hot-air balloon over Max Mara’s headquarters in the city of Reggio Emilia during Milan Fashion Week, displaying a fur-free message.
“Congratulations to Max Mara for joining so many other fashion brands and retailers that have already taken a stand against the cruel fur trade,” said P.J Smith, director of fashion policy at Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States. “Activists around the world came together to ask Max Mara to do the right thing, and they listened, making it clear fur has no place in fashion. Let’s celebrate this win for animals and a fur-free future!”
Max Mara Fashion Group, which operates over 2,500 stores across 105 countries, previously sold items like mink gloves, fox fur cuffs, and raccoon dog key chains. The brand now joins a growing list of over 1,500 brands and designers, such as Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, and Armani, who have embraced a fur-free policy.
Due to more and more brands ditching fur, alongside changing consumer habits, U.S. fur production has declined by 50 percent between 2022 and 2023, with a dip of almost 90 percent during the period 2014 to 2023, according to industry data obtained by HSUS.
“The Fur Free Alliance applauds Max Mara for going fur-free. Max Mara was one of the last global fashion brands that still sold fur, so we’re glad they have now joined a growing list of fur-free brands that want nothing to do with animal cruelty associated with the fur trade,” said Joh Vinding, chairman of the Fur Free Alliance.
Fur-free alternatives
As the fashion industry shifts towards cruelty-free alternatives, brands like Will's Vegan Store and Maison R&C lead the charge with innovative recycled vegan furs. Maison R&C, for example, offers a coat made entirely from recycled corn.
French faux-fur artisans ECOPEL are also at the forefront of this movement, focusing on environmentally friendly materials. Their groundbreaking KOBA material, created from bio-based ingredients, has been featured in designs by Stella McCartney. KOBA not only uses 30 percent less energy but also emits 63 percent fewer greenhouse gasses compared to traditional faux furs, marking a significant step forward in sustainable fashion.
Looking ahead, lab-grown fur could soon become a reality, thanks to material innovation company Furoid. Their process uses stem cells to grow three-dimensional tissue, forming a fur follicle. This futuristic innovation could make fur farming obsolete while still producing animal fur.
Fox in a fur farm. Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals Media
Every year, around 100 million animals, including coyotes, minks, raccoon dogs, and chinchillas, are killed for their fur in the global fur trade. These animals are typically kept in cramped, distressing conditions where behaviors like cannibalism and neurotic actions are common.
The methods used to harvest their fur are often brutal, with animals being bludgeoned, skinned alive, electrocuted, or gassed. In addition to the severe animal welfare issues, critics of the fur industry point to its significant environmental impact, citing concerns like water pollution, land degradation, and the release of greenhouse gasses.
Earlier this year, footage recorded at fur farms in China - the world’s biggest producer of fur - highlighted the reality of confining thousands of animals in small metal cages. It also raised global health concerns, with fur farms in China described as having a significant risk of zoonotic diseases that could have the potential to be transmitted to humans.
In light of these risks, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) introduced H.R.3783, the Mink: Vectors for Infection Risk in the United States Act (Mink VIRUS Act), which will end the practice of fur farming in the United States and will provide support for mink fur farmers to transition out of the industry to ensure they do not turn to illegal mink fur farming for money.
Species Unite is putting our support behind this important piece of legislation which has the potential to save the lives of millions of minks and help curb the spread of pandemics. Please sign our petition now to urge congress to pass the Mink VIRUS Act.
To learn more about the future of fur, listen to this Species Unite podcast episode with Kym Canter, the founder and creative director at House of Fluff, a New York City-based, animal free, material innovation studio and outerwear brand.
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