The fight for going fur-free has been a long and arduous one, but it hasn’t been without great wins! While it isn’t over by any stretch of the imagination, the progress that has been made since its beginning is undoubtedly worth celebrating.

Already this year, two luxury brands, Moncler and Dolce & Gabbana, have joined the pledge of ceasing the use of fur on their products.

With the launch of its most recent collection, Born To Protect, Moncler announced that it will start phasing out the use of fur in its future collection ranges. Starting this year, it will stop sourcing fur and the last collection with fur will be Fall/Winter 2023.

This move follows an ongoing commitment to responsible business practices. It also re-enforces the company’s long-standing relationship with Italian animal rights organization LAV, a representative of the Fur Free Alliance.

“LAV applauds Moncler for the responsible decision to permanently discontinue animal furs from its collections,” said Simone Pavesi, LAV Manager for the Animal Free Fashion Area. “Our commitment to Moncler and all fashion companies continues towards new goals for an increasingly sustainable fashion and for the protection of animals.”

While this is an amazing step towards a more sustainable and animal-free future for the brand, it has and continues to be heavily criticized for its use of down feathers. The brand has stated that it exclusively utilizes down that is a by-product of the food industry and that is traced and certified according to the Down Integrity System and Traceability (DIST) protocol. As much as this isn’t an ideal practice, as long as there is a by-product to be used, it can be seen as a sustainable practice.

As for Dolce & Gabbana, the brand has confirmed it will no longer be using fur and angora wool in any future collection. It will continue however, working together with the fur markers it has been collaborating with on implementing more sustainable faux fur alternatives and recycled materials. This announcement was backed by the Humane Society of the United States as well as the International branch.

“The entire fashion system has a significant social responsibility role that must be promoted and encouraged: we will integrate innovative materials into our collections and develop environmentally friendly production processes, while at the same time preserving artisans’ jobs and know-how otherwise in danger of fading,” said D&G communication and marketing officer Fedele Usai in a statement. “A more sustainable future can’t contemplate the use of animal fur.”

Over the past years, D&G has mostly been in the news for the racist, homophobic and insensitive remarks of head designers Dominico Dolce and Steffano Gabanna. While dropping the use of fur is a great step on the animal rights front, the brand still has issues to deal with on a human level.

It is great to see that brands are adhering to better animal welfare practices more and more, hopefully, this is a sign that this will soon be the industry standard.

Last year, Gucci, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent and others banned the use of fur in their collections.