As shoppers increasingly trend toward fashion brands that create earth-friendly lines, some of the biggest names in the industry have taken note to alter their own production standards. The latest revelation in environmentally conscious fashion came Tuesday, with the announcement that Coach has banned fur.
The iconic American brand's parent company, Tapestry, released a statement on Oct. 23 outlining Coach's plan to phase out the use of real fur in its products. According to the release, the brand has pledged to be completely fur-free by the time the Fall 2019 ready-to wear collection debuts.
Coach's big announcement is not a total surprise, considering the label has been slowly working toward more environmentally friendly practices over the past few years. Joshua Schulman, President and CEO of Coach, said in the press release that Coach's team first released their sustainability plan in 2015, with the hopes of gradually increasing eco-conscious efforts.
“Back then, we laid the groundwork for prioritizing social and environmental initiatives," Schulman said. "The decision to go fur-free is a truly meaningful milestone for the brand.”
With this new decree in place, Coach will join the ranks of several other high fashion houses that have banned fur, like Versace, Gucci, Michael Kors, Armani, and most recently, Burberry. The classic British label showed its first furless collection under Riccardo Tisci's creative direction during the September 2018 London Fashion Week – which was a completely fur-free week of Fashion Month thanks to a new ban from the British Fashion Council.
The decision from the British Fashion Council is further proof that the anti-fur movement is broadening beyond just individual labels and names taking a stand against fur. Earlier this year, Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to ban the sale of fur clothing and accessories, a policy that's on track to be signed into law by 2020. Once the ban is legally in place, Los Angeles will be the largest city in the United States to pass a fur ban – a milestone that the city council hopes will set an example for others.
As Coach moves forward without using fur, shoppers can surely still expect the heritage Americana vibe that the brand does so well – just without the fuzzy animal byproduct. And while it remains to be seen which new materials the brand may make use of in place of animal fur, there's no shortage of sustainable faux options available to designers that creative director Stuart Vevers can opt for in his collections. In fact, faux fur elements have already started to roll out in some pieces, like this Selena Leather Jacket With Faux Fur, $1,095 from the Coach x Selena Gomez collection.
The fashion set will surely be on the lookout for similar faux elements parading down the Fall 2019 runway, and it won't be surprising if sustainable styles get snagged up quickly as the faux-fur trend continues to gain traction. Coach's announcement is a major win as the apparel industry slowly but surely makes moves to become more environmentally conscious and sustainable.
