Mytheresa plans to eliminate the sale of products made from animals that were raised solely for the use of their fur or those made with fur from wild animals. It will continue to sell products made from leather and ‘shearling’ or ‘sheepskin’, as well as the fur of cattle referred to as ‘calf hair’ and ‘cowhide’, and products made from synthetic, faux fur materials.
Exotic skins from species including but not limited to python, ayers, lizard, alligator, crocodile, ostrich, shark, kangaroo and stingray, have been removed already from the buy as of Spring/Summer 2021.
"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. As we already stopped buying Exotic Skins in Spring/Summer 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,” Michael Kliger, CEO of Mytheresa said in a statement.
Mytheresa 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 programme, supported by the Fur Free Alliance, an international coalition of more than 50 leading animal welfare and environmental protection organisations.
Thomas Pietsch, head of wild animals in entertainment and textiles at Four Paws, the official representative of the Fur Free Retailer programme in Germany, said: "We are 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."
PJ Smith, director of fashion policy for the Humane Society of the United States, 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."
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)