Fur Is Dead: ELLE bans fur from its 45 editions worldwide

Top fashion magazines SHE officially bans fur from its pages in its 45 editions and 46 websites worldwide, including its properties in China, the world’s largest fur-producing country. While 13 of his posts are already fur-free, including United KingdomThe media giant’s decision to officially end its promotion of fur will ban the cruelly bred animal product in all editorial features, press images, runway and street style images, and advertisements, for 20 additional editions from January 1, 2022 and the remainder on January 1, 2023. The move, announced today at Business of Fashion’s 2021 VOICES event in London, will reach a total of 175 million readers worldwide.

“Societal commitment has always been one of the essential pillars of the SHE brand. The world has changed and the end of the use of fur is part of the course of history,” said Constance Benqué, CEO of Lagardère News and CEO of ELLE International, in a statement. “We hope that with this commitment, SHE pave the way for other media to ban the promotion of fur, anywhere in the world, and promote a fur-free future.

SHE ditches fur to ‘promote a more humane fashion industry’

SHEThe move lines up with a drastic shift away from the fur. In recent years, more than 1,500 companies around the world have pledged to adopt fur-free policies, including fashion giants Gucci, Saint Laurent and Valentino. Major retailers such as Neiman Marcus, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue have also removed fur from their shelves.

“For many years, SHE is committed to the environment, sustainability and ecology through regular features or special toll-free numbers. The presence of animal fur on our pages and on our digital media is no longer in line with our values, nor our readers”, Valéria Bessolo Llopiz, Senior Vice President and International Director of SHE, said in a statement. “It is time for SHE to make a statement about it, a statement that reflects our attention to the crucial issues of protecting and caring for the environment and animals, rejecting cruelty to animals. It is also an opportunity for SHE to raise animal welfare awareness, build demand for sustainable and innovative alternatives and foster a more humane fashion industry.

A future without fur

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new toll on the fur industry, which herds wild animals together in filthy conditions, creating fertile ground for the spread of disease. This fact was laid bare when mink on fur farms in Europe and the United States tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

After the COVID-19 mink disaster – which led to the mass culling of mink across Europe as a preventive measure to stop the viral spread – vogue questioned his promotion of fur in an article titled “Millions of Mink Slaughtered in Denmark Prove Why Fashion Finally Needs to Disown Fur”. While vogue has yet to announce its own fur ban, animal rights group Humane Society International (HSI) – which has worked with SHE parent company of the Lagardère group to implement its commitment – ​​hopes that SHE’s decision signals a new furless future for fashion media.

“We celebrate SHE for taking a stand against the cruel fur trade and look forward to other fashion magazines following their lead,” HSI Fashion Policy Director PJ Smith said in a statement. “This announcement will spark positive change across the entire fashion industry and has the potential to save countless animals from a life of suffering and cruel death. SHEleadership will also be a driver of innovation for more sustainable and humane alternatives.

Globally, legislation is beginning to reflect the move away from fur and HSI is currently working to fill a gap in the UK – which has banned fur farming since 2003 but still imports and sells fur – with its #FurFreeBritain campaign, which is endorsed by top brands, celebrities and businesses around the world.

For more on fashion without fur, read:
Canada Goose pledges to eliminate fur by the end of 2022
Billie Eilish gets Oscar de la Renta to give up fur
British Columbia permanently shuts down its mink fur industry

Anna Starostinetskaya is the editor-in-chief of VegNews and always keeps tabs on all things vegan in her hometown of San Francisco, California, and everywhere else.