Livermore, CA – Today is the second day of an international weekend of action against Max Mara. While activists from Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) were scouting a potential protest against Max Mara’s Livermore store, they realized that some of the items in the store looked suspiciously like real racoon fur. Upon closer inspection of the garments, the items were clearly labeled as “real fur” – violating California’s new law outlawing its sale.
CAFT condemns Max Mara for this violation of the law and hopes that local authorities will take swift action against them to discourage other brands from following in Max Mara’s footsteps.
The fur trade has been struggling as an industry for the past few years with the recent trend of major fashion conglomerates enacting fur-free policies company wide. Often these policies have come after intense pressure from animal advocates. “We applaud Californians for taking a stand against fur – however, ending the sale of fur in California is not enough. CAFT wants to see a world where no animal has to die for a luxury garment.”
Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFTUSA) – exists to forever end the killing of wildlife for their fur. CAFT has protests scheduled against Max Mara around the world to demand that fashion finally stops using fur.
Today, February 1, 2022, Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) celebrates Zegna Group’s decision to announce a fur-free policy.
We initiated a campaign of protest against Zegna Group four days ago. They heard the message loud and clear, and immediately took action to protect the environment and remedy the cruelty inflicted upon the beavers and minks used in their jackets.
Zegna Group, owner of fashion houses Zegna (formerly Ermenegildo Zegna) and Thom Browne, is the largest menswear company on the planet. Their annual revenue is $1.2 billion. One might think that a company of that size would not have their ears open to the public. We are impressed with Zegna’s responsiveness to their consumers and other stakeholders, who don’t want them supporting the ecological devastation and animal abuse of the fur trade.
The word is out now for every designer with any sense. No longer is the public willing to stand by and listen to empty promises about sustainability in fashion. If you use fur, we will come, and we will win.
The fur industry is dying. It’s time to jump ship and join the future. But if you’d prefer to stick with fur and experience that industry’s reality, the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade is happy to oblige.
Below is Zegna’s confirmation to us, which was accompanied by social media posts. In all sincerity, the letter is thoughtful, and we commend Zegna for considering the matter in the way that they did.
The next phase of the fight against fur will take on two titans of fashion:
Zegna Group: Zegna Group is the largest menswear company in the world, with $1.5 billion in annual revenue. It controls the brands Ermenegildo Zegna and Thom Browne, both of which use fur. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in December, 2021, and now is the time to strike. Zegna Group and its business partners are the top priority in the fight against fur.
LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton: LVMH is the largest corporation in Europe. Its founder, Bernard Arnault, is the third richest person on the planet. LVMH controls 75 different brands, of which 14 are fashion brands. Those that use fur are Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Loro Piana, and Berluti, but others that have refused to announce a fur-free policy include Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Celine, and Loewe. All are responsible for the terror and torture propagated by LVMH.
CAFT always wins. We are seven for seven in our victories. We will go to our graves before we accept defeat.
There is no question that the future is fur-free. The question is just how quickly these companies will join the rest of their industry. However long, rest assured that CAFT will be there, escalating the fight against fur until total victory.
MONCLER IS GOING FUR-FREE AFTER 123 DAYS OF PROTEST
For immediate release:
January 25, 2022
Contact:
action@caftusa.com
(310) 818-3169
Today, January 25, 2022, Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) celebrates Moncler’s historic decision to announce a fur-free policy. When CAFT initiated our campaign four months ago, we knew that Moncler would do the right thing for the foxes, raccoons, and coyotes whose relatives currently line its jackets – not to mention for the planet and our climate.
In 123 days, Moncler, its subsidiary Stone Island, and its lead investors experienced protests at a rate of one every two days.
Moncler as a brand was built on its signature quilted jacket – a garment whose most luxurious and coveted versions were trimmed with fur. Moncler sold more fur items than any other luxury European fashion house to go fur-free thus far. This is an unprecedented victory for the animal rights movement. Whether they admit it to themselves or not, the entire luxury industry knows it: the days of fur are numbered.
The next phase of the fight against fur will take on two titans of fashion: LVMH, Europe’s largest corporation, and Zegna, the world’s largest menswear company. Together, they control sixteen fashion brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, and Thom Browne. Though these companies currently lag behind their competitors, it is inevitable that they too will embrace sustainability and accept the reality of a future without fur.
CAFT looks forward to announcing the future fur-free policies of Zegna and LVMH – and the future collapse of the barbaric fur industry.
Now that we have defeated iconic European fashion house Saint Laurent, it’s on to Moncler.
Moncler is an Italian fashion whose whose meteoric rise to luxury stardom was based on billionare Remo Ruffini’s vision of luxury sprotswear, specifically Moncler’s signature quilted jacket. The most high-end models of this brand signature are lined with the skins of tortured foxes, coyotes, and raccoons.
Recently, Moncler’s junior North American competitor, Canada Goose, removed fur from its signature quilted jackets. Moncler has no excuse.
Moncler uses more fur than any fashion brand we have yet to take on. Time to show them that their days of using fur are numbered. Until they find a new way to fill their bank accounts, they will deal with the international anti-fur movement.
In less than three months, the anti-fur movement has toppled fashion legend Saint Laurent (YSL) and its massive, iconic parent corporation, Kering.
From designers to retailers, and now the most iconic fashion houses on the planet, CAFT and its partners are making history together through decentralized pressure campaigning.
We will stop at nothing until fur is a relic of the past.
Oscar de la Renta would like you to believe that change is taking place.
For decades, ODLR has taken a strong pro-fur stance in the face of protests on the runway and pies in the face. But suddenly, after just a little bit of attention from CAFTivists, they have removed all of the fur from their website.
What does this mean? Who the hell knows? But one thing hasn’t changed:
ODLR still refuses to make a commitment regarding their future with fur. No plan. No policy. No dates. Nothing. They refuse to even acknowledge the question.
And if they believe that a non-committal website edit will trick activists into abandoning the animals, clearly they have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into.
ODLR has been playing the victim since this campaign began. Now, they are playing games with animals’ lives. Here at CAFT, we don’t play. It’s time to show them how serious we are.
So CAFT will be hitting them where it hurts: their finances.
New Target: GF Capital
GF Capital Management & Advisors LLC is Oscar de la Renta’s lead institutional investor. They own 20% of ODLR. Their CEO, Gary Fuhrman, is on the board of ODLR. And as financiers of fur, they are now in the same mess as ODLR.
Headquartered in New York City, GF Capital focuses on investments in fashion/design, sports/entertainment, and real estate. Their companies have locations and stakeholders in cities across the country, all of which would love to get a friendly visit from local activists.
And it’s already started. On July 24, activists in Houston did a peaceful home demonstration at the residence of GF Capital’s Managing Director for Real Estate, James Taussig. And after warning the public about the animal abuser in their neighborhood, they came back the same evening during a party James was throwing, to inform his guests. Meanwhile, activists in Los Angeles paid a visit to the Melrose Place location of Jonathan Adler, a luxury furniture store chain owned by GF Capital. With bullhorns blaring and police helicopters overhead, they made sure that their impact would travel all the way up to the GF top brass.
It may feel strange or uncomfortable to protest at a furniture store owned by a finance company, or at a bridal shop holding an ODLR trunk show – but the fact that these entities have no vested interest in ODLR’s fur makes the protest that much more impactful, ramping up the pressure on GF Capital and ODLR.
Secondary targeting works. ODLR will learn that as long as they sell fur, everything they touch will be tainted by that decision. And the longer they hold out, the more creative we will become at turning them into an industry pariah.
We can’t help but wonder how GF Capital and their investments feel about being held to account for animal cruelty, simply because ODLR pridefully refuses to join the rest of the world and go fur free. We may never find out, but we can be sure of one thing: the executives at ODLR will be hearing a lot about it.
And GF Capital is just the first. Since ODLR likes games so much, we can’t wait to show them all the fun we have lined up for them. The message for the rest of the world is clear: deal with Oscar, deal with us.
CAFT is today announcing international campaigns against Oscar de la Renta and Saint Laurent, beginning with a week of action from July 5th to 11th.
What makes a good campaign target? A target that is winnable, that is well-suited to build upon for future victories. And together we will win against Oscar de la Renta and Saint Laurent.
We will ultimately beat every designer with proper strategy and timing. But when it comes to building a movement across the Atlantic right now, Saint Laurent is the best target for many reasons. And here at home, Oscar de la Renta is foolish if it does not announce a fur-free policy simply from seeing this press release.
Oscar de la Renta in particular has a storied animal rights history, with runway disruptions stretching back to the 1990s. Oscar, we invite you to contact us – but if not, don’t say we didn’t warn you.
At CAFT, we have only one goal: saving animals’ lives. That means we are singularly focused on maximum destruction against the fur industry. Not what is sexiest for social media. Not what feels good. Only winning – and that alone. Social media follows success. And the best feeling is victory.
Our model for success has proven itself. One aspect of this model is the use of short-term targets to energize more difficult campaigns. Oscar de la Renta represents the remnants of a dying industry in the United States, an industry that we will purge from this continent. And Saint Laurent represents a new era of hard-hitting anti-fur activism against European designers.
Next week, it’s time for the fur industry to learn a lesson. We never miss a beat. We strike with precision. And their days are numbered.
Let’s show Oscar de la Renta and Saint Laurent how the modern animal rights movement deals with fur.
Yesterday, Alice + Olivia contacted the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade to say that they are going fur-free. After 18 actions and 11 days, we win.
In fact, A+O pulled all fur from its stores and website in the first week of our campaign, but refused to officially go fur free until today.
Stacey has bragged about using fur without remorse for years. An actual billionaire with unlimited resources to fight us. And it took her two weeks to decide that giving up part of her business was a better option than dealing with us.
And this is only the beginning.
A strategy for success We were ready to take on Alice + Olivia’s executives, board members, investors, their other companies, even charities on the boards of which they sat. And we were ready to further diversify our tactics, within the bounds of the law. But we achieved success by focusing on A+O storefronts alone. The victory was thus the result of aspects of our strategy built into its architecture from the first day:
Coordinated national action The animal rights movement is strongest when we work together. Our opponents are national and international. By choosing a common target and making it a focus for every city, we win. This victory was made possible by independent local groups in Chicago, Boston, New York, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas, Connecticut, Los Angeles, and Orange County.
Forceful and tactically diverse action Alice + Olivia experienced 18 actions in 11 days. And we know of at least six more that were planned prior to our week of action against fur on February 7. Tactics ranged from a day of phone calls to chalking to disruptions to demonstrations to a special alarm-based action from a lone rabbit. One independent street art activist made “Wanted” posters of Stacey Bendet, but this victory came too quickly for them to put them up around her city. While we may not be able to maintain this pace with longer-term targets, the important take-away is that Alice + Olivia was under a state of siege. On Monday mornings, management’s email inboxes were full of reports from stores in different cities about “the activists.”
Results-based campaigning We began as a few people with a theory. With results-based campaigning – winnable goals and smart strategy to achieve them – we build our movement and build momentum for future victories. Let’s break down these two goals to see if the theory holds up.
Building our movement The Monique Lhuillier campaign began with only a few cities. After that victory, over a dozen cities were ready to take action. And our structure – total autonomy for local groups with our full backing and support – empowers local activists and ensures a diversity of tactics as we move into the future.
Building momentum for future victories We beat Monique Lhuillier in 14 days. And after seeing what we achieved, Stacey Bendet – a designer with almost twenty times as many stores as Monique – went fur free in 11. Now, our reputation precedes us as we move to larger designers and retailers.
Onto the next We will not achieve animal liberation with wishful thinking and positive intentions. We will achieve it by using incremental victories as stepping stones. We are knocking down the fur industry brick by brick, and together we will watch it crumble. Join us and make history.
Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade – United States
Alice + Olivia is a well-known name in women’s fashion. It is sold in nearly a thousand stores, and has 56 of its own boutiques worldwide. It is also one of the only American retailers that sells clothing made from the fur of tortured animals. Its founder and designer, the notoriously unstable Stacey Bendet, is a dietary vegan who says she knows that wearing fur is wrong, but just doesn’t care.
And Alice + Olivia is also going to be the next American retailer to drop fur, whether Stacey knows it or not.
That is because Alice + Olivia is now marked as the top target of anti-fur activism. So as long as we all work together, there is no question whether we will win. The only question is how quickly. And the answer depends on how frequently and how forcefully we act – as well as our geographic distribution. We must fight on as many fronts as possible.
We beat Monique Lhuillier in fourteen days. With that momentum, we are now moving onto this larger company. And once we beat Stacey Bendet, we will move onto the next, larger designer. There are only a few left before we totally end the sale of fur by large American retailers.
We held our campaign kickoff today at A+O’s Los Angeles flagship store on Melrose. Twenty activists stormed the store, speaking up for the animals via our megaphones, and calling attention to our message via airhorns. The single employee present refused to speak to us, and disappearing into the back of the store.
We announced the launch of a national campaign against Alice + Olivia, and let the employee know that as long as Stacey Bendet sells fur in her collection, we will be outside of every store to speak up for the animals that are murdered on fur farms.
We had not been asked to leave, but voluntarily moved outside after five minutes or so. And our demonstration did not last even thirty minutes more, before the lights in the store were turned off, the doors were locked, and the employee went home.
As a result of our short protest, Alice + Olivia closed a full hour and a half early. There is no doubt as to the fact that they are not prepared to deal with the strong voices of the modern animal rights movement.
We will win. History shows that we will win. Our strategy is smart, innovative, and shown to work. Our architecture, one of total autonomy for grassroots organizations, ensures a diversity of creative tactics. Our passion and dedication can match all the money in the world. Our campaign is prepared for attrition, with plans representing multiple methods of escalation. The last ingredient is you.
Stand with us. We will never tell you what to do – and we will always help you in whatever way you need. And we promise you one thing: if you take action against Alice + Olivia, you will see results, and know that you were part of achieving them. This is how we dismantle the fur trade on this continent. Come make history with us.
Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade 