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Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Milan on Saturday to call for a ban on fur at fashion week. Protesters carried signs criticizing the fashion industry's use of animal fur and urged organizers to remove it from the runways entirely.
While fashion weeks in London and New York have banned fur from the catwalks, Milan has only asked brands to avoid using it. The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), which runs the event, issued voluntary guidelines in May discouraging designers from using fur, but the recommendation is not binding and carries exceptions for vintage or upcycled pieces.
The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) has called for the showcase's organizers to ban the material from shows altogether.
The group, which launched its campaign against Milan Fashion Week in January, says the May guidance does not go far enough and has kept up pressure on the event's sponsors since.
That pressure has already cost Milan Fashion Week several corporate partners this year, with companies including Wella, DHL, and Visa ending their sponsorships after being targeted by activists.
Fashion giants like Armani, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana already refuse to use fur. But there are notable exceptions in Italy, such as Fendi, which belongs to France's LVMH, the luxury goods conglomerate.
Campaigners have regularly disrupted the four fashion weeks in Milan, criticizing the cruelty of breeding animals for fur and the conditions they are often held in.
The use of fur in the global fashion industry has gone down sharply in recent years because of greater concern about animal well-being, changing consumer habits, and the appearance of synthetic alternatives.
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