From fur-free policies to sustainability commitments, these brands are taking baby steps to a more sustainable future for fashion.
The past few years have been all about sustainability. A lot of brands have been criticized for their use of animal fur in many of their products and much as you love the way real fur feels, it’s not a very smart choice for the clueless beings that are being robbed of their fur. Just imagine your hair being taken without permission to be someone else’s wig. With the topic of sustainability getting more talked about lately, we’re faced with the reality of where fashion stands right now. But these can all be turned around. A lot of brands have been working together towards one goal: a fur-free future. Aside from that, we are treated with a lot of sustainability projects by retail brands. So we compiled all fur-free brands and those with sustainability projects that are tiny baby steps towards more sustainable fashion industry.
Fur-Free Brands
Vogue would call it the first step to a sustainable future for fashion; more and more brands have been committing to a fur-free future. Among these brands are the following:
Calvin Klein became fur free in 1994 while Stella McCartney have never used fur since its birth in 2001. Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, and Vivienne Westwood have all become fur-free early as 2007. In 2016, Armani has made the commitment as well while 2017 was the year for Gucci and Michael Kors. Come 2018, more brands have announced that they’ve become fur-free like Chanel, Coach, Burberry, and Tom Ford. The same year, Donatella Versace mentioned in an interview that Versace has been fur-free saying she “doesn’t want to hurt animals for fashion” yet we still see a fur pillow being sold on their website, but her statement was still acknowledged and welcomed by PETA. Recently, Prada and Miu Miu also announced their fur-free agenda.
Exotic Skins Ban
In late 2018, Chanel also banned the use of exotic skins on their products. It was announced alongside their fur-free steps to sustainable fashion. This was later adapted by Victoria Beckham in the following year. There are still a lot of brands who are using exotic skins but if it was possible for them to be fur-free, PETA alongside other NGOs for animal rights are looking forward to hearing from these brands regarding the ban of exotic skins in their products.
Sustainability Projects
Uniqlo’s Jeans Innovation Center. We all know that jeans require a lot of water to make. From the cultivation of cotton to fabric production and even its washing during the garment production. With Uniqlo’s Jeans Innovation Center, creating these timeless pieces will be much more sustainable. As members of Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), a non-profit organization, Uniqlo teaches their farmers to techniques for appropriate water, pesticide, and chemical usage on cotton. They have also partnered with factories to purify and reuse wastewater generated in the production of the fabric. This minimizes wastewater, one of the top pollutants of the environment. Pumice stones have also been replaced with reusable artificial eco stones, eliminating stone mining and pumice on wastewater. Last but not least, water usage and labor are also minimized by the use of laser technology to distress jeans. These efforts reduce 99% of Uniqlo’s water usage versus their old jean production methods.
H&M’s Sustainability Efforts. By 2040, H&M aims to be “climate positive”. By 2030, they aim to use 100% recycled or sustainable materials. Starting off with their sustainable line, H&M Conscious, the brand has been supplying us with garments made from recycled materials. Recently, they have also introduced the use of Piñatex on their garments. They also encourage people to drop their old and used clothes at any of their stores for recycling—from any brand, with any textile.
