Burberry to axe fur from collections, will stop destroying unsold product

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Sep 6, 2018

Burberry is to end the use of fur in its collections and as part of a new approach to sustainability will also no longer destroy unsaleable goods, the luxury firm said in an announcement on Thursday.

The changes take place immediately which means that there will be no real fur in Riccardo Tisci’s debut collection for Burberry later this month and “we will phase out existing real fur products,” it added. 
 
CEO Marco Gobbetti said: “Modern luxury means being socially and environmentally responsible. This belief is core to us at Burberry and key to our long-term success. We are committed to applying the same creativity to all parts of Burberry as we do to our products.” 

The fur move comes after a stream of high-end brands have abandoned the use of fur in recent seasons, receiving a general thumbs-up from consumers as a result.

But Burberry got a big thumbs-down earlier this summer when it was revealed that it has destroyed tens of millions pounds worth of “unsaleable” goods for a number of reasons, including quality issues, the need to keep the goods out of the grey market, and its switch to an external licensee for its beauty operation.

Its commitment to end the practice “builds on the goals that we set last year as part of our five-year responsibility agenda.” The company said it “is supported by our new strategy which is helping tackle the causes of waste. We already reuse, repair, donate or recycle unsaleable products and we will continue to expand these efforts.”

The change certainly supports its aim to be part of a more sustainability-focused luxury industry, which is especially important as it became a core partner of the Make Fashion Circular Initiative convened by the Ellen McArthur Foundation in May of this year. 

On Thursday the company also emphasised its eco credentials, saying that in the past year “we have created a unique partnership with sustainable luxury company Elvis & Kresse to transform 120 tonnes of leather offcuts into new products over the next five years. We have also supported the Burberry Foundation in establishing the Burberry Material Futures Research Group with the Royal College of Art to invent new sustainable materials. 

“We continue to invest in communities, from supporting young people in disadvantaged areas of London and Yorkshire, to developing a more inclusive and sustainable cashmere industry in Afghanistan. These efforts have been recognised by Burberry’s inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the third consecutive year.”