Anti-fur protests escalate at MFW as animal welfare groups ramp up efforts

Milan Fashion Week has become the scene of heightened demonstrations as animal rights activists ramp up efforts and rally against the continued use of fur on the runway. A total of 14 protests are planned throughout the week, with a further two or three daily actions scheduled outside of official National Chamber of Italian Fashion (CNMI) events.

Anti-fur activists from across Europe are gathering in Milan from February 23 to March 2 as part of a growing global campaign launched on January 8 by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT), calling on CNMI to follow the footsteps of its international counterparts and adopt a fur-free policy.

Efforts began during a panel discussion on sustainability and fashion at Bocconi University, where protesters held up a banner that called out Carlo Capase, president of CNMI, for continuing to allow fur at MFW. According to CAFT, Capase, who was speaking in the panel, called activists “liars” and “violent” in response to their disruption.

CAFT activists, alongside the local group Animal Defense League Italia (ADL-Italia), also zoned in on Fendi’s runway presentation on the second day of the fashion week. The brand, owned by LVMH and a member of the CNMI board, is one of the few major luxury brands still selling fur, and has thus become a target of heightened criticism.

Since the start of the campaign, CNMI has lost partnerships with beauty company Wella and shipping firm DHL over ongoing protests against the lack of anti-fur policies, CAFT reported. Activist pressure has mounted, even escalating to rallies outside the homes of associated executives.

MFW is now one of the few remaining global fashion events to not have implemented a fur ban on its platform. In contrast, fashion weeks in London, New York, Australia, Berlin and Copenhagen are among those to have issued bans on the animal-product, while publications like Condé Nast and Hearst have also enacted similar restrictions.

“Milan is isolating itself by refusing to adopt the same fur-free standards,” CAFT’s executive director, Suzie Stork, said in a statement. “The industry has moved on. Consumers have moved on. The only thing keeping fur alive on Milan’s runways is the unwillingness of its leadership to act.”