For many, many years, the use of animal skins in the fashion industry was synonymous with luxury and distinction. However, in the last decade that perception has changed and more and more designers and brands reject this material for their garments. In part, due to the action of groups of activists against animal suffering. But, above all, because the latter have found an unexpected ally in their fight: the specialized media in the sector.
The power of the media. A joint study by the universities of California and Emory (in Atlanta) reveals that, despite the fact that the claims of activists against the use of animal skins put the claim on the table, until the media specialized in fashion, led by Vogue magazine, they did not begin to raise questions about the morality of their use, the manufacturers did not take them seriously.
The movement against the use of animal skins has a long history, and in 1994 it managed to get Calvin Clain to stop using this material in its designs. However, in the first decade of the 21st century there were still many brands that used them and were even indifferent to the protests and demands of the activists.
Vogue, unexpected activist. The study points out that, starting in 2009, Vogue began to abandon the vision of luxury and glamor with which it had always treated garments made from animal skins, and to increasingly question the morality of its use in its articles. From that same date, approximately, the use of this clothing material began to decline, and little by little more and more brands announced that they would stop using it.
The investigation indicates that this change of opinion by Vogue, one of the most influential fashion magazines in the world, was key for designers and manufacturers to rethink the use of fur in their garments. The North American publication was not the only one to begin to raise moral doubts about the use of this material, but the authors of the study emphasize that, given its dominant position among specialized publications in the sector, it influenced more than that of any other medium. and made fashion creators really decide to stop using it.
“In the world of fashion, Vogue has a unique position and influence. Its editors are well connected to industry leaders and are experts at translating the complex world of fashion into something more affordable for the general public. For that reason, fashion brands only began to respond to external pressures when these voices [en contra del uso de pieles animales] they were amplified by such a powerful publication”, point out the authors of the research.
Progressive abandonment of the skins. In addition to Calvin Clain, other firms that abandoned the use of fur in their clothing relatively quickly were Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, in 2006 and 2007, respectively. However, most relevant fashion brands did not do so until the second decade of the 21st century, when Vogue had already declared war on this material: Versace in 2014, Hugo Boss in 2015, Giorgio Armani in 2016, Gucci in 2017, Prada in 2020, Balenciaga in 2021 and Dolce & Gabbana in 2022.
Not just Vogue. Despite the fact that the study directly links the editorial change of Vogue and the decision of many fashion firms to abandon the use of fur, its authors emphasize that this publication was not the only one that influenced their disuse. The investigation reveals that the strategies of the activists, especially those related to publicity campaigns and legal maneuvers, made their claims have more and more room in the press, which made it easier for their message to penetrate little by little in society.
And, although Vogue did not echo any news related to the demands of the activists, the authors do point out that their growing presence in the media made the journalists and editors of the North American magazine rethink their position regarding the use of fur in fashion These doubts were transferred to their coverage and criticism of fashion shows and new collections, which were the ones that ended up definitively influencing designers.
Image | charisse kenion