The iconic luxury fashion brand Valentino recently announced that it will shut down its Milan-based fur subsidiary Valentino Polar by the end of this year. According to a statement, Valentino is on the move towards a more ethical and environmental friendly direction. By making the brand completely fur-free by 2022, Valentino is showcasing its efforts to make its collection relevant in the modern era.
“Maison de Couture for us means creativity, uniqueness, intimacy and an inclusive mindset,” chief executive officer Jacopo Venturini said. “The fur-free stance is perfectly in line with the values of our company. We are moving full-steam ahead in the research for alternative materials in view of greater attention to the environment for the upcoming collections.”
Besides the termination of Valentino Polar, the company is also shutting Red Valentino, an in-house fashion line focused on youth-centric street style. It is an effort to streamline the label and allow creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli to focus on the mainline.
Venturini exclaimed “The aesthetic vision of our creative director — combined with the artisanal spirit and excellence of the workmanship — harmonises perfectly with new technologies and future objectives. The inputs to which our customers, or friends of the house, are exposed to every day are many. In this scenario, the concentration on one, and only one brand, will better support the more organic growth of the Maison.”
PJ Smith, Director of Fashion Policy at HSUS, pronounced, “Valentino understands that consumers want nothing to do with fur and are rewarding companies that take a stand against animal cruelty. Brands and retailers should rightfully align their policy with consumers’ values if they want to remain successful in a world that cares about animals and their welfare.”
Valentino follows a growing number of luxury designers who have pledged to go fur-free keeping in tune with customer preferences along with a concern for environment. Over the past few years, high end labels, including Balenciaga, Prada, Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Versace, Chanel and many more have shunned the use of fur in their products, advocating more sustainable practices.
Since consumer attitudes are vigorously changing towards non-exploitation of animals for fashion, legislators are also taking an active interest to ban the manufacture and sale of fur. Cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have taken stern steps to ban fur.
