Canadian Luxury fashion brand Canada Goose, popular for its $1,000 jackets, has stated plans to stop using animal fur in its products. The firm will stop buying the material by the end of 2021 with production using fur set to finish by the end of 2022.
The firm was widely known for the use of coyote fur trims on its famous jackets with criticism over the unethical trapping methods used to kill the animals.
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Canada Goose has declared the move as part of a strategy to become more environmentally conscious and to seek more sustainable practices to reduce the firm’s carbon footprint.
President and CEO, Dan Reiss, told the New York Times that “our focus has always been on making products that deliver exceptional quality, … and perform the way consumers need them to”. Despite the shift away from fur the firm will still look to uphold these values going forward.
The announcement demonstrates the changing nature of the fashion industry with consumers becoming more tuned in to ethical and sustainable issues. Long term, the decision is probably the right one for the Canadian firm with many potential consumers having been put off by the use of fur and the methods used to get it.
Environmental campaigners welcome the announcement but want more
The Toronto-based firm has long been criticised by numerous environmental groups, so the news was welcomed by activists despite feeling it was long overdue.
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By GlobalDataRecently in the UK, two activists protested for 15 months outside the London Regent Street store and in 2019, multi-brand retailer Flannels was targeted in Leeds for stocking the brand.
Director of the Humane Society International/UK, Claire Bass, labelled the move as ‘another major blow to the global fur trade’. Further to this, she highlighted how it will spare untold thousands of coyotes from being maimed and killed in cruel metal leg-hold traps.
PETA, a long-time critic of Canada Goose, also commented on the news stating that it would suspend its international campaigns against the firm today. This follows ‘years of eye-catching protests, hard-hitting exposés, celebrity actions and legal battles’.
However, the organisation claimed that it would now push the firm to stop its use of goose and duck feathers which is still used in its parka jackets.
The decision is part of a wider fashion trend to shun fur
Canada Goose is following other major fashion brands that have recognised the benefits of avoiding animal fur. US department store Nordstrom announced it would stop selling products using fur or exotic animal skin during 2021. Additionally, high profile brands, PRADA and Burberry have committed to stop using fur in their collections in the past few years.
With fake animal fur widely used and popular it seems unnecessary for firms to continue to use the real animal material when consumers tend to not be concerned. Going forward continuing to use animal fur is likely to bring negative publicity and we can expect more firms to follow suit.
Claire Bass, of Humane Society, also noted how the fur industry is now “on its knees from the punches of so many top designers and retailers walking away from the PR-nightmare”.
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