Elle Mag Bans Fur: Next Step? Jen Bugansky

Fur Use Through the Years

For centuries, the use of fur has been pertinent in fashion and clothing. From cavemen pelts to a modern day coat, both true and synthetic fur are major materials. Since they have been used for so many years and in so many different forms, it becomes difficult to remove this material from the world of fashion. Despite that, ELLE magazine has recently announced that they are banning fur from all their publications in an attempt to bring awareness to animal welfare. The VP of ELLE, Bessolo Llopiz, stated that “(fur) is no longer in line with [its] values, nor our readers.”. Fur has been outdated for the last two design cycles, but unlike other trends it is unlikely to come back on its third cycle due to concerns about the means of production. This raises the question about whether or not the magazine is doing this for public support or for true ethical reasons. In whatever case, banning fur from high fashion publications is a huge step to a future wherein animal abuse is not tolerated in the fashion industry.

ELLE is the first high fashion magazine to take true stance to this and halt the publication of animal products, leading to a step in the right direction for animal cruelty and abuse. Brands and companies would go to extreme lengths to obtain high quality fur, so in the past several decades the use of synthetic fur has gained more traction. All 45 of the magazine’s global editions have signed and agreed to ban any form of content that promotes animal fur. 13 editions have implemented this charter and 20 more will follow suit at the start of 2022. The other 12 will begin applying and implementing the charter the following year.

Why?

While ELLE states that they are applying this for animal cruelty purposes, the new generations do not appreciate the use of fur so much as past ones have. It’s been more difficult to sell furs and animal products to Generation Z compared to previous generations. The trend with newer generations has been leaning more and more towards completely cruelty-free products, whether makeup or clothes. The removal of furs and animal products has made the magazine more marketable to holistic consumers, a community growing larger and larger.

ELLE’s decision hasn’t only been supported by consumers, but by corporations as well. PETA reached out and touched on the topic, saying their efforts are “paying off”. With this development gaining traction, it is predicted that more brands will come forward and ban fur in their prints and product lines as well.