Why Fendi won’t phase out real fur

This article is part of our Vogue Business Membership package. To enjoy unlimited access to Member-only reporting and insights, our NFT Tracker and TikTok Trend Tracker, weekly Technology and Sustainability Edits and exclusive event invitations, sign up for Membership here. LVMH’s sustainability strategy, called Life360, works toward a circular economy and prioritises traceability, transparency, climate and biodiversity in alignment with the company’s 75 houses. Goals include ethically sourcing all materials by 2026 and for eco-design to account for 100 per cent of production by 2030. But it won’t steer the elimination of fur, leaving that choice up to the brands. At the Vogue Business and Google Summit, Fendi CEO Serge Brunschwig joined LVMH group environmental development director Hélène Valade for a keynote conversation on sustainable luxury, artisanship, real versus alternative furs and the ways that luxury companies can change the definition of desirability. “Our goal is to not only limit our impact on the environment but to have a positive impact — particularly on biodiversity,” said Valade. Fendi is a fur house. To Brunschwig, fur is part of luxury’s artisan craftsmanship when ethically sourced and held to high supply chain standards. That means contending with criticisms over animal welfare and the toll that fur production has on biodiversity. “We use and transform beautiful materials. What’s important is sourcing. A lot of materials are animal-based, like fur, and we are respecting ethical standards with the best sourcing out there,” said Brunschwig. Products’ longevity also plays into circular objectives, like repairs and upcycling, Brunschwig said. Ultimately, what it comes down to is choice. “It’s important that we leave freedom to our clients, to our designer.” To offer choice, the brand is experimenting with alternatives. With LVMH, the Imperial College London and Central Saint Martins University of the Arts, Fendi is researching and developing lab-grown fur fibres using keratin. “We’ll see what kind of result we get. We are not at all against putting ourselves into this research — we want to be the best provider of the best materials,” said Brunschwig. “If there is a way to lab grow fur, we will do it. Not to eliminate the other source, but to add another possibility for people who would be interested.” For LVMH, alternative material research doesn’t end with fur. To meet its goal of eco-design accounting for 100 per cent of products by 2030, the company is exploring lab-grown wool, cotton and diamonds as well. Part of the work is anticipating the circularity of a product before it’s made while maintaining luxury standards, said Valade. Plastic would never be used as an alternative material, for instance. “If we want materials that destroy craftsmanship or use plastic, I think we are missing the point,” said Valade. “We need to evolve the codes of beauty. A sweater with recycled materials? We used to say it is ugly. Making sustainability desirable is a purpose and a big challenge for us.” To receive the Vogue Business newsletter, sign up here. Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com. More from this author: Catherine Holstein, Emily Bode Aujla and Raul Lopez win at the 2022 CFDA Awards Kering in talks to acquire Tom Ford, says WSJ CEO Neves: Farfetch-YNAP deal will be “transformational” for luxury\

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