Goodness sake
Fashion has realised it is time to become ethical, writes
THE fashion industry has imposed a fatwa on fur. After decades of animal rights protesters throwing red paint at fur wearers at fashion weeks around the world; showing up at fashion shows to protest against models who wear fur, placards in hands and celebrity campaigns about rather going naked than wearing fur, it seems the fashion industry has finally listened – fur is over.
In September, Los Angeles became the largest city in the US to ban the sale of fur clothing and accessories
Burberry, Versace, Michael Kors, Vivienne Westwood, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Gucci and Armani all have gone fur-free in their collections, joining Stella Mccartney, who is a vegan and has been anti-fur from the beginning of her career.
Tom Ford recently became vegan and has dropped fur from his clothing.
According to the Business of Fashion, millennials in the US alone spent about $20 billion (R2.9bn) last year and it is estimated that by the end of the year, they will have more spending power than any other generation. And with more millennials choosing to go vegan and making choices that positively impact the environment, it makes sense that fashion has decided that going ethical is the best model.
A report last year by the Business of Fashion and
Mckinsey found that 60% of global millennials are willing to spend more on brands that are sustainable.
“Nearly 90% believe they will help create more sustainable products by convincing businesses and governments to change existing practices; and other respondents said they would be willing to boycott a fashion brand if it was not sustainable.”
Millennials care about the origins of the things they purchase, whether it’s food of clothing.
There’s a demand for more ethical, eco-friendly, “vegan” fashion and it has even driven fast fashion brands H&M and Topshop to create eco-friendly collections to appeal to this market.
It’s heartening to know that the fashion industry has realised it can have a positive impact on the environment.