Donatella Versace will stop using animal fur in her collections, according to a recent interview with 1843.
Speaking with Luke Leitch, style editor of the magazine, Versace said “Fur? I am out of that. I don’t want to kill animals to make fashion. It doesn’t feel right.” Leitch, though, makes note that at the very time of his interview with Versace, the brand’s website was “urging customers to consider ‘fur-embellished coats that turn heads.'” The brand also currently has a $1,450 rabbit fur throw pillow for sale on their website.
An official announcement of the house’s policy change has yet to be issued, although PETA offered a particularly begrudging congratulations, writing on their website: “Versace has finally realized that it’s unconscionable to cage, bludgeon, electrocute, and skin animals — who are no different from her beloved dog, Audrey — for fur. PETA is sending Versace a box of fox-shaped vegan chocolates to thank her.”
A handful of luxury brands have sworn off fur recently, but Versace’s decision feels particularly shocking, since fur has long been a signature of the house. Oversized mink coats and sumptuous fur-trimed outerwear are almost synonymous with Donatella’s aesthetic, often thrown over ultra-short, ultra-sexy ready-to-wear. The anti-fur limitation could prove challenging for Donatella’s successor. Rumors continue to swirl that she is looking to hand off the baton as creative director.
The designer discussed the rumors with Leitch. “Somebody came up to me recently and said, ‘there will be a huge crisis if you leave – it will be a fashion disaster!’ Can you believe that?” she said. “Yes, I am Versace. But also Versace needs to mean change. And it needs to be an opportunity for others to express themselves.”
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