In a significant move applauded by environmental protection organizations, the renowned Italian luxury brand Max Mara Fashion Group has confirmed its fur-free stance. This announcement follows a statement from LAV, an environmental protection organization, which highlighted Max Mara's decision to cease the use of fur.
Max Mara issued a clarification, emphasizing that its brands have not been selling fur products for several seasons. The statement also addressed internal communications aimed at reassuring employees who faced pressure and violence, particularly in the United States. The company underscored its commitment to exploring all legal avenues to protect its staff from privacy violations and psychological abuse.
The Max Mara Fashion Group, which includes esteemed brands such as Weekend Max Mara, Sportmax, Max & Co., and Marina Rinaldi, has been at the forefront of a global campaign advocating for the end of fur use. This campaign, led by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT), spanned continents, including the United States, Europe, Japan, and Australia, over the past year and a half. The campaign featured residential picketing and mounting pressure from activists worldwide.
“Max Mara’s decision will spare countless animals a horrific life spent almost entirely in tiny wire cages,” said CAFT in a statement. “Now that Max Mara has capitulated, CAFT intends to shift our focus to Anne Fontaine as our primary target.”
PETA’s vice president of corporate projects, Yvonne Taylor, lauded Max Mara’s stance, urging LVMH – owner of Louis Vuitton and Dior – to follow suit. She emphasized the need for LVMH to align with contemporary ethical standards by abandoning fur use.
While LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the parent company of Dior and Fendi, continues to use fur, several luxury houses such as Giorgio Armani Group, Burberry, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Valentino, and Versace have already ceased selling fur. French luxury conglomerate Kering also adopted a fur-free policy across all its brands, including Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, and Gucci, effective from the fall 2022 collections.
Retail giants in the U.S., such as Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue, alongside Canada’s Hudson’s Bay, have also implemented fur-free policies. Online retailer Farfetch joined this trend in 2019 by banning fur items from its platform.
The Fur Free Alliance, which includes the Humane Society International, launched a global campaign targeting Max Mara during fashion weeks in New York City, London, Milan, and Paris in February 2024. Joh Vinding, chairman of the Fur Free Alliance, praised Max Mara’s decision, noting, “Max Mara was one of the last global fashion brands that still sold fur, so we’re glad they have now joined a growing list of fur-free brands that want nothing to do with animal cruelty associated with the fur trade.”
Max Mara's fur-free declaration marks a pivotal moment in the fashion industry’s ongoing shift towards more ethical and sustainable practices, setting a powerful example for other luxury brands to follow.
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