The Glossy 50 celebrates individual changemakers. They include executives who took their companies into new, competitive categories, industry newcomers who disrupted age-old processes, dealmakers who led groundbreaking partnerships and creatives whose work managed to cut through the noise. More from the series →
The Changemakers: These passionate advocates forwarded fashion or beauty for good.
The fur-free movement may have started in the ’90s with brands like Calvin Klein, but it is still far from over. As the director of fashion policy at animal rights company The Humane Society of the United States since 2019, P.J. Smith has been at the forefront of ongoing changes, convincing brands to go fur-free for sustainability and economic reasons.
Gucci famously went (mostly) fur-free in 2017, shifting the tide on the luxury brand side. At the time, the announcement was the brand’s most-liked post across social media.
Seventy-six brands and fashion companies have since signed on to the Humane Society of the United States’ “Fur-Free Fashion Companies,” with new announcements rolling out in almost every quarter. This year, those have included Moncler, Zegna and Thom Browne.
“We had to break the association between fur and luxury by showing brand executives the reality of the fur trade,” said Smith. “We highlighted how cheap fur really is, especially when it comes to trim and pom-poms on hats and purses. In the last 5-10 years, there has been a change in what luxury stands for; it is now associated with innovation, sustainability and ethical products.”
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Wider legislative bans have only begun to be implemented in the U.S. A nationwide mink farming bill was introduced in June. And California’s impactful ban on fur sales came into effect in January.
“The California economy is large; it represents nearly a quarter of all fur sales in the United States,” Smith said, pointing to data from the Humane Society of the United States. As “New York and California account for roughly half of fur sales,” banning sales at the city and state levels is a current goal.
Europe, where some of the biggest luxury and fur brands are based, has also seen momentum in fur bans this year. In June, more than 1.5 million European citizens signed a petition to ban fur sales and farming.
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“That financial institutions no longer fund the fur trade is a game changer,” said Smith. “Goldman Sachs, for one, now has fur-free policies saying they will no longer fund anything associated with the fur trade.”
Fur trade bans have also been the catalyst for moves away from other animal materials. “Companies are now banning exotic skins, putting money into leather innovation and alternatives, and moving away from angora,” said Smith. “This all started with fur.”
Protests at Coach’s spring 2024 fashion show focused on banning leather. But, “just taking over a runway is not leading to anything without meaningful conversation,” Smith said. “Soon, global companies will need to report their environmental impact,” including their carbon emissions where animal products have a high impact. This is where the real change will come in, he said.
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