After Nixing Exotic Skins, Mytheresa Says ‘No’ to Animal Fur
LONDON — Mytheresa has joined a growing legion of brands and retailers who’ve decided to swap real fur for faux, and is starting with the spring 2022 season.
The Munich-based retailer said Thursday it plans to phase out its existing fur inventory from previous seasons by the end of 2022, although it will continue to sell shearling and calf hair.
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The company said the policy applies to all animal fur products and items across Mytheresa operations, including its two physical boutiques.
“At Mytheresa, we believe that sustainability is an important part of our future strategy, and this view is clearly shared by our customers, partners and employees,” said Michael Kliger, Mytheresa’s chief executive officer.
“As we already stopped buying exotic skins in spring 2021, it was clear that going fur-free is the natural next step for Mytheresa. We are proud to be making this change and thank the Humane Society of the United States, Four Paws and the Fur Free Alliance for supporting this policy.”
In July, as reported, Montreal-based luxury outerwear brand Moose Knuckles launched a sustainability program that included a commitment to stop using fur by the end of 2022.
The move came on the heels of Canada Goose and Neiman Marcus’ plans to drop fur, and is part of a framework that codifies a broader mission for Moose Knuckles.
Mytheresa clarified that its plans are to eliminate products made from animals “raised solely for the use of their fur, or those made with fur from wild animals.”
The company said it will continue to sell products made from leather and sheepskin as well as cattle fur or “calf hair,” and products made from synthetic fur materials.
The company already removed exotic skins as of spring 2021.
Mytheresa said it developed its animal welfare policy in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States, and in accordance with the guidelines of the Fur Free Retailer program, supported by the Fur Free Alliance, an international coalition of animal welfare and environmental protection organizations.
Thomas Pietsch, head of Wild Animals in Entertainment and Textiles at Four Paws, the official representative of the Fur Free Retailer program in Germany, said his organization was “very pleased” to see Mytheresa committing to ban real fur and exotic leather.
“Taking this step forward on animal welfare is not only compassionate and in line with consumer expectations, but also shows heightened awareness of what true corporate social responsibility stands for. We hope Mytheresa ambitiously continues to refine their animal welfare practices to help build an animal-friendly fashion future,” he said.
PJ Smith, director of fashion policy for the U.S. Humane Society, said: “We applaud Mytheresa for its decision to stop selling fur and exotic skins. Animal welfare policies like Mytheresa’s will help drive the demand for innovative materials that are better for animals and the planet and should be part of every company’s Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance strategy.”
WWD has contacted The International Fur Federation for comment.
Nixing real fur is the latest move that Mytheresa has made in the ESG space. As reported earlier this year, the company is also taking steps to promote the circular economy.
In June, Mytheresa joined the resale wave through a partnership with the luxury consignment platform Vestiaire Collective.
The initial phase of the project is limited to Mytheresa’s top clients who’ve been invited to sell their pre-loved luxury handbags online in exchange for Mytheresa store credit.
The service sees Mytheresa taking on secondhand bags from a list of 20 luxury designers from the retailer’s customers in Europe. The service is for customers of the site, although the bags need not have been purchased from Mytheresa.
The aim is to start rolling out the service to a wider customer base, to more brands and new categories, including ready-to-wear, before the end of 2021.
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