Hundreds Protest Fur at Milan Fashion Week as New York Goes Fur-Free

Hundreds of demonstrators marched in Milan on Saturday, September 26, during Milan Fashion Week, calling on organizers to ban fur from the shows. The campaign group Coalition To Abolish The Fur Trade led the protest, and placards read "Fashion Victims" and "Their Lives Are Worth More Than Your Outfit."

Milan has asked brands to avoid fur but has not banned it, while London and New York, which went fur-free for the first time this month under the CFDA's policy, have barred it from official runways. According to wire coverage carried by The Star, Fendi, which belongs to LVMH, is a notable exception among Italian houses, while Armani, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana have said they refuse fur.

Campaigners have regularly disrupted Milan's four fashion weeks, criticizing the breeding of animals for fur and the conditions in which they are kept. Fur use has fallen sharply across the industry in recent years because of animal welfare concerns, changing consumer habits and synthetic alternatives, though fur has reappeared on some runways.

The protest underscored the gap between fashion capitals that have banned fur and those that have not.

Reporting based on wire coverage carried by The Star (Malaysia) and Daily Sabah.