Italian luxury brand Moncler to go fur-free by 2024

Luxury Italian fashion group Moncler announced Tuesday that it would stop using fur in its products starting in 2024. The brand, mainly known for its down coats that cost upwards of $1,000, is following in the footsteps of other big companies like Nordstrom and jacket competitor Canada Goose. 

"The company will stop sourcing fur this year and the last collection to feature fur will be Fall/Winter 2023," the company said in a press release. They also cited their "commitment to responsible business practices" and collaboration with the Italian animal rights organization LAV "as a representative of the Fur Free Alliance."   

Moncler's announcement comes as a growing movement of customers, animal rights activists, and even state and city governments continues to push for policies that lean away from new fur use.

"We're thrilled Moncler is committed to making the fashion industry more humane," PJ Smith, fashion policy director for the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, said. "Italy has quickly become a hub for fur-free fashion now that the country banned fur farming last year and many of its renowned brands — including Armani, Prada, Versace, Valentino and Gucci — are fur-free,"

PETA commented on Moncler's decision, saying: "The company's decision to ditch fur follows years of pressure from animal rights activists — including PETA-backed protests in Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington — and nearly 100,000 e-mails from supporters of PETA entities around the globe." 

While fur is on it's way out at the fashion brand, the company said that it's down coats "exclusively use down that is a by-product of the food industry and that is traced and certified according to the DIST Protocol." 

The protocol, they said, "ensures traceability, high farming standards and animal welfare through a scientific approach all along the supply chain."