Gucci is one of the most iconic Italian luxury brands famous worldwide. Gucci was founded in 1921 – a century ago – by Guccio Gucci, a fashion designer, and son of a Tuscan leather craftsman. The two renowned Gs of the logo are a tribute to the founder and represent his initials.
The brand is an emblem of boldness and opulence, and its leather handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, fragrances, and makeup are sold all over the world. Only recently, Gucci took a stand on animal rights concerns.
Is Gucci a vegan brand? Gucci is not a vegan brand. In 2018 Gucci has pledged to stop using fur and angora wool in all of its products, and the luxury brand has created some vegan products even going so far as to win awards for its cruelty-free commitment. But that doesn’t make Gucci a vegan brand, there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Before guessing why Gucci has waited so long to create vegan products, we should get what vegan fashion is and what “going vegan” requires to brands.
What makes a fashion brand vegan?
A vegan fashion brand refuses any material of animal origin in the manufacturing process. Vegan clothes and accessories are free of fur, leather, feathers, wool, silk, angora, exotic animal skin and hair, and are made from recycled materials or from plant-based fibers that replace animal derivatives.
Vegan fashion brands create trendy and exclusive clothing using natural or recycled fibers that don’t cause suffering to animals for the only purpose of human vanity. This new way of producing is increasingly rewarded by consumers’ choices and devotion – not necessarily vegans alone – who want to wear cruelty-free clothes or accessories, and prefer vegan to non-vegan brands.
The trend of veganism is taking over and conquering the market, and the fashion industry must join it to stay alive. Many luxury designers – such as Gucci, Versace, and Stella McCartney – have promised to keep their upcoming collections as cruelty-free as possible, starting with the abolition of fur use.
Is Gucci actually going vegan?
In a century of fashion, a lot of crucial moments have occurred and marked the history of such a famous brand. However, only a few of these moments can be traced back to drastic changes that made Gucci deviate from its classic idea of a leather manufacturer.
In 2013, Gucci teamed up with Livia Firth – Co-founder and Creative Director of Eco-Age and founder of the Green Carpet Challenge – to create a handbag collection from responsibly-sourced leather, as such assuring no deforestation. This was a huge milestone, at least the Zero Deforestation collection guarantees respect for ecological practices in environmental management, but the pieces are made from animal leather and the entire collection is definitely too far away from the idea of vegan fashion.
In 2017, Gucci received the Biggest Fashion Moment award from PETA for its decision to stop using, promoting, or publicizing fur. A few months after, in 2018, Gucci forever banned angora, the wool produced by rabbits. These two moments have represented a great victory for animals and animal welfare groups, and the beginning of the Gucci collections with vegan products.
In 2020, Gucci launched Off The Grid, its first-ever sustainable – non-vegan – collection. In this collection, Gucci included vegan sneakers and clothing entirely made without using materials of animal origin but only by transforming waste products. However, in the same collection, there are many pieces – such as bags and other accessories – made from recycled materials and even animal leather.
Gucci’s sustainability plan assures that all its raw materials come from sustainable sources respecting nature, animals, and local communities. For instance, Gucci ensures that the animal-sourced materials don’t come from farms involved in the Amazon rainforest deforestation. However, despite the brand’s claim to control animal welfare at all stages of production, its creations are still primarily made from leather, feathers, wool, exotic animal skin, and hair.
Gucci is very far from being a vegan fashion brand.
On the hunt for a new handbag? Why don’t you check out these 11 vegan brands that aren’t only cruelty-free, but also super stylish and affordable!
What should we expect from Gucci next?
I think it’s unrealistic to presume that Gucci will go 100% vegan in the near future. However, we should expect a blooming stance on sustainability and environmental protection from Gucci. In general, the brand is reducing the use of chromium and other hazardous chemicals during the manufacturing processes.
Furthermore, Gucci seems to not hold back on sustainability, on the contrary, it has promoted actions to raise awareness on the seriousness of the issue. Gucci Equilibrium is an online platform designed to generate positive change for people and the planet. On Equilibrium, Gucci shares its duty and strategy for a more inclusive society, climate protection, etc. Through Gucci Equilibrium the employees can dedicate part of their working time to volunteering activities.
Gucci is also striving to develop innovative and eco-friendly materials to show off on the upcoming catwalks. As mentioned, Gucci Off The Grid is the first collection designed specifically to drop off the environmental impact of the fashion industry. This collection comprises accessories, ready-to-wear, and travel pieces made from recycled, regenerated, organic, bio-based, and sustainably sourced materials.The collection’s main material is Econyl, a regenerated nylon 100% obtained from abandoned fishing nets and old carpets destined to landfills.
Should you buy or avoid Gucci?
The answer to this tricky question is: it depends on you. It depends on how valuable is for you to wear leather accessories or a wool sweater, for example. No one can tell you what to do or what not to do. The main aim of this article is only to inform and share knowledge.
Gucci is undoubtedly striving to be more cruelty-free and it is showing that creating alternative products is possible and profitable, as such being a leading example to other luxury fashion brands. At the same time, the majority of Gucci’s products are made from animal-sourced materials.
It’s only up to you to choose which brand is worth your money and your loyalty.
But if you’re looking for luxury brands that are 100% vegan, we have a list of 10 cruelty-free designer brands you could check out!
Alternatively, you can try to buy Gucci clothes and accessories second-hand! Which is probably the most sustainable, and budget-friendly solution that doesn’t support the industries that are cruel to animals!
RELATED:
Related Question
Are “vegan” and “cruelty-free” synonymous? All products that are free of animal-derived substances – leather, fur, wool, silk, etc. – are defined as vegan, while products that have not been tested on animals are labeled as cruelty-free. Usually, these two terms can be used interchangeably in the fashion industry because apparel and accessories don’t need to be tested on animals. However, some fashion brands also make beauty products whose production often involves animal testing. That’s why it is important to check for both vegan and cruelty-free practices.
Sources:
- https://www.highsnobiety.com/tag/gucci/
- https://www.fashionabc.org/vegan-fashion-market-trend-rise/
- https://www.peta.org.uk/living/peta-fashion-awards-2017/
- https://eco-chick.com/gucci-and-livia-firth-team-up-to-bring-transparency-and-ethics-into-new-gucci-zero-deforestation-handbag-collection/
- https://www.gucci.com/documents/Principles.pdf
Alberta Bernardi
+ posts
Alberta Bernardi is a Ph.D. in Management, Innovation, and Sustainable Development. She likes to call herself a “sustainability warrior” because she aims to spread knowledge on the environment, ethics, and plastic pollution day after day. Her love of nature and battle against plastic around the world are on Instagram @together_no_plastic
