There is no cruelty-free way to keep angora rabbits

The Armani Group announced that they will no longer use angora wool from the FW22/23 season onwards, adding it to the list of excluded materials for all lines within its fur-free policy. Following talks with animal advocacy group PETA, all future collections from the Group’s stable of brands including Georgio Armani, Emporio Armani, EA7, and Armani Exchange will be angora-free.

The Cruel Reality Behind Angora Wool

Considered a luxury material, angora wool is a fluffy fibre that comes from the thick, soft coats of angora rabbits—not to be confused with angora mohair, which comes from goats. Angora rabbits are kept inside small, filthy cages and face the agony of live plucking up to four times a year. During the process of angora wool collection, rabbits suffer tremendously. Workers restrain the rabbits and manually rip the hair from their sensitive bodies, leaving only the fur on their heads. Although there are fur farms around the world, 90% of all angora wool comes from China.

The Fashion Industry and Fur

Armani joins a string of fashion houses in banning angora, including Gucci, Valentino, Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry, and Stella McCartney. While PETA is celebrating Armani’s decision to extend their no-fur policy to include angora, the organization is still calling for many other designers to get with the times. “Today’s socially-conscious fashion consumers want nothing to do with an industry that rips the hair out of fully conscious rabbits’ bodies,” says Mimi Bekhechi, PETA’s VP of International Programmes.

Fur has long been a controversial topic, and consumers increasingly contradict its use in luxury clothing. Brands are slowly catching up with expectations by moving away from animal-derived materials and opting for synthetic materials. Hopefully, animal cruelty within the fashion industry will soon be a thing of the past. 

Read more: Kering Group Announces Fur-Free Policy for its Fashion Houses