Max Mara Fashion Group adopts fur-free policy

Max Mara Fashion Group, the parent company of Italian luxury fashion house Max Mara, Marina Rinaldi, and Marella, among others, has gone fur-free, according to press releases from a number of animal rights organisations.

The announcement comes after Max Mara faced increasing pressure for several years from animal rights organizations such as People for The Protection of Animals (PETA) and Four Paws to stop using real animal furs in its collections.

“Max Mara, including the Max Mara Fashion Group (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,” said a Max Mara executive in a statement released by Four Paws.

Max Mara Fashion Group confirms its fur-free policy

The company’s decision to step away from using fur comes months after the Fur Free Alliance (FFA), a coalition of over 50 animal protection organizations from over 35 countries, launched a global campaign during fashion weeks in New York City, London, Milan, and Paris this past February, that called on Max Mara to implement a fur-free policy. The international campaign garnered significant support, with over 270,000 emails, 5,000 phone calls, and numerous social media posts conveying a strong plea for Max Mara to embrace a fur-free future.

“Max Mara's decision to exclusively produce fur-free garments in the future is an important step towards more animal welfare in the fashion industry,” said Thomas Pietsch, head of wild animals in textiles at Four Paws, in a statement. “It sends a strong signal to other brands to follow the example of the traditional Italian fashion house. This success is a direct result of a joint effort between Four Paws and other NGOs under the direction of the Fur Free Alliance and shows that consistent mobilization can have a positive effect for millions of minks, foxes, and raccoon dogs."

John Vinding, Chairman of the FFA, added: “The Fur Free Alliance applauds Max Mara for going fur-free. Max Mara was one of the last global fashion brands that still sold fur, so we’re glad they have now joined a growing list of fur-free brands that want nothing to do with animal cruelty associated with the fur trade.”

While organisations have celebrated the news, a spokesperson for Max Mara denied making any official statement on the issue but confirmed it had sent an internal memo to staff, reassuring them that it does not sell products made from fur either online or in any of its physical retail locations, nor does it intend to introduce products made from fur in future collections of the Max Mara Fashion Group brands.

"We have read the statement from Lav. We confirm that Max Mara Fashion Group brands have not sold fur products for several seasons. We have not made any public statement," read a statement sent to FashionUnited. "We have reassured our collaborators, who have been subjected to pressure and violence, particularly in the United States, through an internal statement that the company has long chosen not to use fur in its products and that we would explore any legal solution available to us, to protect them from systematic violations of their privacy and repeated psychological violence."

Other animal rights organizations, such as PETA, applauded Max Mara Fashion Group’s decision to stop using real fur. “PETA celebrates Max Mara Fashion Group’s decision to join the overwhelming majority of fashion brands in proclaiming that fur has no place in its future collections,” said Yvonne Taylor, vice president of corporate projects for PETA, in a statement.

“Following a long-standing campaign and many thousands of emails from animal advocates around the world, the company will no longer support the hideously cruel fur industry, which confines, poisons, gasses, electrocutes, and skins sentient beings for jackets and coat trim. It will also no longer be complicit in the devastating impact that the fur trade has on the environment. As the final holdouts ditch fur, PETA urges LVMH – owner of Louis Vuitton and Dior and a major sponsor of this year’s Olympics – to get with the times and follow Max Mara’s lead.

The Max Mara Fashion Group, which operates more than 2,500 stores across 105 countries, previously sold mink gloves, fox fur cuffs, fur trims, and raccoon dog key chains, among other fur items in the past. The fashion company now joins the likes of luxury fashion houses such as Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, and Armani, who have all adopted fur-free policies.

This article was updated 08/08/24 at 09:10 CEST to include a direct statement to FashionUnited from Max Mara regarding its current stance on the use of fur and to reflect the brand’s clarification that it has allegedly long avoided the use of fur in its collections. The company further noted that it had not made an official statement on the matter, but had confirmed to employees that it did not use fur in any of its lines.