Although many of its brands have been fur-free for years now, Kering Group has announced that it’s implementing a fur-free policy across all of its labels.

“For many years, Kering has sought to take the lead in sustainability, guided by a vision of luxury that is inseparable from the very highest environmental and social values and standards,” said François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, in a press release.

“When it comes to animal welfare, our Group has always demonstrated its willingness to improve practices within its own supply chain and the luxury sector in general. The time has now come to take a further step forward by ending the use of fur in all our collections. The world has changed, along with our clients, and luxury naturally needs to adapt to that.”

Starting with Gucci in 2017, many of Kering’s houses, including Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, and Alexander McQueen, have progressively made this important step in sustainable and cruelty-free products. Now, Brioni and Saint Laurent join in on the directive.

In 2019, Kering formalized and published a set of animal welfare standards that will continue to be applied, as they concern other animal fibers and materials.

Kering’s ban on fur adds to the long list of fashion companies who’ve made the same pledge. It’s not only a direct result of government regulations and stakeholder pressures, but concerns for animal welfare and environmental responsibility continue be a main driver for consumer purchasing decisions in the luxury space.

As Vogue Business notes in its story on Kering’s fur policy, “Mytheresa announced a fur ban last month; last week, Oscar de la Renta made a fur-free pledge when Billie Eilish made it a condition of her wearing the designer label at the Met Gala.” These brands join the likes of Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Burberry and many others who have already banned the use of fur.

There’s, of course, much more to be done, especially with regards to the use of exotic leathers in the luxury fashion space. This news however shows just how much companies are listening to the change in consumer sentiment around cruelty-free, Earth-friendlier materials and production methods.

In other material news, Wrangler launched its most sustainable denim yet with Infinited Fiber Company.