To Fur or not to Fur: Sustainable Production and Consumption Within Animal-Based Luxury and Fashion Products

Abstract

We live in the age of information technology where information travels faster than the speed of light. When a slightly inclined sustainable consumer searches for ethical fashion and luxury brands, they are easily bombarded with advertisements and information. The ongoing trends in adopting sustainable consumer lifestyles, being green and ethical, add to the lustre of modern-day consumers. But despite the awareness, an alarming increase of 70 % in the global sales of the fur industry in the past decade has contradicted the sustainable luxury and fashion movement. Where on the one hand, 100 % fur-free fashion companies like Stella McCartney, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klien and Ralph Lauren are setting an example in the fashion industry. But on the other hand, companies like Gucci, Donna Karan and Karl Lagerfeld have made fur as their forefront in the fashion shows. Interestingly, in the luxury industry the big quest has been about understanding if sustainability and luxury can co-exist and how sustainability can be defined in the realms of luxury? But it is difficult for consumers to adhere to a reference point when it comes to using sustainable animal-based products. In general, the supply chain and fair trade has been an important aspect of eco-fashion products but how does it fit for animal-based products like fur is not well understood. The luxury and fashion industry caters to both sustainable and non-sustainable consumptions. In this chapter, we unfold the realities of the fur and faux fur industry. We examine what has led to the come back of fur within the age of sustainable luxury and fashion through interviews from the industry experts and secondary literature. Developing on the industry data and interviews we show the technicalities from production and consumption cycle of the fur industry. We explore the consumer profiles into the consumption of fur and faux fur products. We elucidate how men and women differ within these consumption patterns.