Fashion magazine ELLE is banning fur from the pages of all its international editions in a move to support animal welfare and reflect changing tastes, the publication said on Thursday, December 2.
Hailing a “fur-free future,” ELLE senior vice president and international director Valeria Bessolo LLopiz said in an interview with Reuters: “It’s a really great opportunity to increase awareness for animal welfare, bolster the demand for sustainable and innovative alternatives and foster a more humane fashion industry.”
Each of the magazine’s 45 global editions has signed a charter to ban editorial content promoting animal fur on its printed pages and its online and social mediate sites, Bessolo LLopiz said at The Business of Fashion’s VOICES 2021 conference. So far, 13 editions have implemented the charter and 20 more will do so starting Jan. 1, 2021. The remaining editions will apply the charter starting Jan. 1, 2023.
“Fur appears to be outdated and not fashionable anymore, and especially for the Gen Z, who is the golden target of fashion and luxury industry,” Bessolo Llopiz said. “Gen Z wants fashion to be responsible, ethical and innovative, and that’s what’s happening”. In the last few years, a number of fashion houses and retailers have said they were ditching animal fur or skin amid pressure from animal rights groups and changing tastes from younger, ethically and environmentally savvy customers. In September, luxury group Kering (PRTP.PA), announced all its brands would stop using animal furs in collections, four years after its star label Gucci made the move.
Animal rights organization PETA welcomed the magazine’s decision.
“PETA’s years of protesting furriers and persuading the public to shun fur continue to pay off. Celebrities, top designers, shoppers, and even Queen Elizabeth II have rejected fur—and now, Elle has banned it from its pages worldwide,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a statement.
Founded in 1945, ELLE magazine is published around the world today. Thirteen editions have already implemented the charter, while a further 20 will do so as of January 1. The remaining editions will follow from January 1, 2023.
