Jean Paul Gaultier becomes latest designer to denounce real fur
Parisian couturier Jean Paul Gaultier has become the latest high profile fashion designer to denounce real fur telling a French TV channel he intends to "rectify" his use of the material.
Speaking to Canal +, Jean Paul Gaultier, who has been dubbed L'Enfant Terrible of fashion, condemned the "deplorable" treatment of animals by the fur trade and said he was exploring the use of faux fur and alternative options.
His comments were welcomed by the Humane Society International which has been lobbying the fashion industry and urging designers to re-think their use of fur, to great effect.
HSI Director of International Media Wendy Higgins said: Jean Paul Gaultier is absolutely right when he says that the way animals suffer for the fur trade is deplorable, so we are thrilled that he has indicated he is looking at rectifying his current use of fur.
"We are waiting anxiously to receive official confirmation from Gaultier that this signals a definitive ban across the collection as we hope, and if that is so then this will be the latest big name in the fashion world - after Gucci, Versace, Burberry, DKNY, John Galliano - to drop fur cruelty. Going fur-free truly is the fashion zeitgeist of the 21st century, saving countless fox, mink and other animals a miserable life and a painful death. Fur is dead, in every sense of the word.”
Gaultier is the latest in a line of designers and brands to drop fur in the past 12-18 months, others include Tom Ford, Michael Kors, Diane von Furstenberg, Jimmy Choo and Furla, while online luxury group Yoox Net-A-Porter has banned the sale of fur across all of its platforms. In the mainstream brands such as ASOS have also banned fur, along with a host of other materials that are deemed to be cruel to the animals from which they are derived such as mohair and feathers.
Earlier this year a landmark debate among MPs in UK Parliament resulted in widespread support, across all parties, for a ban on fur imports into the UK. The UK has banned fur farming since 2000. The Government, however, has yet to act on the outcome of the debate.
