FarFetch will no longer allow the sale of animal fur on its website from December 2019. The move has been applauded by animal charity Humane Society International, and its US affiliate, who worked with the online luxury retailer for years to bring about the ban.
FarFetch has traditionally been a fur-heavy retailer, so this announcement shows a significant shift away from fur. The company joins big brands Yoox Net-a-Porter Group, Gucci, Michael Kors, Versace, Burberry, Donna Karan, Coach, Chanel, Jean Paul Gautier and Jimmy Choo who have all recently turned their backs on fur.
HSI UK Executive Director Claire Bass said “HSI and our Humane Society colleagues in the US have worked with FarFetch for years to bring about this fur ban, and we applaud the brand for taking action to ensure it’s no longer buying into the horrific suffering of the animals in the fur trade. Each new fur-free announcement continues the domino effect of designers and retailers seeing the importance of distancing their brands from the fur industry’s cruelty. The fur-free revolution shows no signs of slowing down, and it’s making fashion houses like Fendi, and Dolce and Gabbana that are still selling suffering look increasingly outmoded and isolated”
This announcement follows the publication of Saga Furs’* end of year financial report, released last week. The report, in part, blames the plethora of recent fashion house fur bans for the sharp drop in the company’s income (20 per cent) between 1.11.2017 and 31.10.2018, and pre-tax profit which has decreased from €9.2 million in 2016-2017 to minus €1.7 million (a decrease of €10.9 million).
Around the world in countries such as the U.S., France, Poland and China, animals on fur farms are subjected to terrible conditions. Beautiful wild animals are kept their entire lives in small, barren cages, physically and mentally deprived, before being killed and skinned for their fur. Wild animals such as coyotes fair no better, caught in agonising traps often for hours or even days before being shot.
Fur facts:
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More than 135 million animals globally are reported to be killed every year for their fur. In addition to the physical and psychological torment of being confined in small, barren cages for their entire lives, the killing methods typically used on fur farms are equally distressing. Mink are killed by gassing, and fox and raccoon dogs are killed by anal electrocution.
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Wild animals like coyote and wolf who are trapped for their fur, fare little better – they can languish in agony in cruel traps for hours or even days before dying from dehydration, starvation or attacks by predators or being killed when the trapper returns.
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Britain allows the import and sale of furs from a variety of species, including foxes, rabbits, minks, coyotes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas. Under existing EU Regulations import and sale of fur from dogs, cats and commercial seal hunts are banned, and campaigners want those bans extended to protect all species. Opinion polls show that most Brits agree – 80 per cent believe that it’s unacceptable to buy or sell animal fur in the UK, regardless of species.
