Luxury fashion house Gucci made waves in the industry today with two major sustainability moves. In a press conference, Gucci’s CEO Marco Bizzarri declared the brand will go entirely fur-free across all of its collections starting from the Spring/Summer 2024 season.
“Gucci is charting a new path that respects the ethical values of today’s modern society,” stated Bizzarri. “Fur has no place anymore in an industry that wants to be truly sustainable and ethical.”
This announcement follows years of activism by animal rights groups urging Gucci and other luxury labels to renounce fur. It makes Gucci one of the highest-profile fashion brands to impose a complete fur ban.
But Gucci didn’t stop at just shunning fur. In a fashion industry first, the Italian brand also unveiled a pioneering new vegan material derived from wood pulp to be used for their handbags and small leather goods.
Dubbed “Viscosa” by Gucci, the plant-based textile emerged from two years of research and development. It mimics the look and texture of leather but is completely animal-free and biodegradable.
“As a leader in luxury, we had a responsibility to find an innovative solution that raised the bar for cruelty-free, eco-friendly materials,” explained Bizzarri. Viscosa handbags will hit Gucci stores by next fall.
The bold moves confirm Gucci’s commitment to leading luxury’s transition towards ethical, environmentally-conscious business practices. It’s likely many brands will follow their path away from fur and into plant-based vegan leathers.
