- Italy -
Max Mara Fashion Group, the Italian fashion house, has finally announced what thousands of people have been waiting to hear for a very long time!
Following countless global campaigns, protests, emails, petitions, phone calls, media posts, and street actions in front of Max Mara stores all over Europe, in an internal memo to staff, Max Mara said, “The Company does not sell, online nor in any of its physical retail locations, any products made with fur, nor is there the intention to introduce any products made with fur into any upcoming collections of Max Mara Fashion Group brands.”
Fur Free Alliance reports that this was confirmed by a Max Mara executive, who added:
“Max Mara, including the MMFG and any subsidiaries, has adopted a fur-free policy and has no intention of introducing fur into any upcoming collection for any of the MMFG brands.”
As reported by FOUR PAWS, the Fur Free Alliance and a coalition of more than fifty animal protection organizations from over thirty-five countries, “launched a global campaign during fashion weeks in February 2024 in New York City, London, Milan, and Paris urging the Italian fashion giant to adopt a fur-free policy. The campaign also saw more than 270,000 emails, 5,000 phone calls and countless social media posts delivering a clear message asking Max Mara to take the leap into a fur-free future.”
Many brands, such as Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Versace and many others, take a clear stance against real fur. Max Mara, however, kept selling products with real fur.
In February 2024, Humane Society International/Europe and LAV flew a hot-air balloon over Max Mara’s headquarters in the city of Reggio Emilia during Milan Fashion Week, displaying a fur-free message.
Together with Fur Free Alliance, FOUR PAWS joined a global campaign during fashion week season from February to March 2024 to convince Max Mara to move toward a fur-free future.
FOUR PAWS and other NGOs protested in front of Max Mara stores in more than twenty European cities. Max Mara has always refused to even discuss the issue.
Following the #FurFreeMaxMara campaign, the company removed fur items from Max Mara Fashion Group’s websites but remained silent on ending its support for fur cruelty. The group even disabled all comments on its Instagram channels.
Humane Society International reported some alarming fur facts which I have copied below:
· Tens of millions of animals suffer and die each year in the global fur trade. The majority of the animals killed for fur are reared in barren battery cages on fur farms.
· Fur farming has been banned in 21 European countries – the 15 Member States of Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia plus Bosnia and Herzegovina, Guernsey, Norway, United Kingdom, North Macedonia and Serbia. In addition, two countries (Switzerland and Germany) have implemented strict regulations which have effectively brought fur farming to an end and three countries (Denmark, Sweden, Hungary) have imposed measures that have ended the farming of certain species. Mink farming has also been banned in the Canadian province of British Colombia. Political discussion of a ban is underway in Bulgaria, Romania and Sweden.
· Israel became the first country to ban fur sales, in 2021. In the United States, fur sales are banned in the state of California as well as ins 16 towns or cities. Political discussion on a fur import ban is underway in Switzerland
· Mink on almost 488 fur farms across 13 countries in Europe and North America have been found to be infected with COVID-19. Millions of farmed mink, in countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands, were ordered to be killed on public health grounds. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) has been found on 72 fur farms (one in Spain, 71 in Finland) to date. Around 500,000 animals, including mink, arctic fox, red fox, raccoon dogs and sable, have been ordered to be killed on public health grounds.
P.J Smith, director of fashion policy at Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, said: “Congratulations to Max Mara for joining so many other fashion brands and retailers that have already taken a stand against the cruel fur trade. Activists around the world came together to ask Max Mara to do the right thing, and they listened, making it clear fur has no place in fashion. Let’s celebrate this win for animals and a fur-free future!”
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Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.
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