The sustainability-focused Helsinki Fashion Week has become the first such event to ban leather, starting from July 2019, in “an active stand against cruelty to animals and the damaging environmental impacts that the use of animal leather brings with it.”
The news comes after a plethora of apparel brands and retailers recently pledged to stop using animal products such as fur, angora and mohair in their collections.
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Most recently, US luxury retailer Ralph Lauren committed to ensuring its products are mohair-free, while Gucci recently committed to end the use of angora across all of its products after going fur-free last year.
“By banning leather, Helsinki Fashion Week will become a groundbreaking, cutting-edge presence on the fashion scene,” says Elisa Allen, director of animal rights group PETA. “PETA looks forward to seeing animal- and eco-friendly vegan fabrics take over Helsinki catwalks in 2019 and beyond.”
