Mathews asked the creative director of Margiela, “What is true luxury today?” and Galliano responded, “It’s authenticity. And inventiveness … Today we don’t want a product, we want ethics, a firm that defends the values that we admire.” And Galliano makes a good point — today’s trends come from lifestyle brands that uphold the ethos and values we want to live by. In the interview, he says that a meeting with Mathews led to a friendship that encouraged him to rethink fur.
BREAKING: Iconic fashion designer John Galliano is the latest to go #FurFree after meeting with PETA ? SO many luxury fashion brands are sparing animals – the future is fur free! https://t.co/IegE7kBI3T pic.twitter.com/2Wtw1C9kB2
— PETA (@peta) April 3, 2018
Taking an anti-fur stance also led Galliano to become a vegetarian. “My life is more balanced,” he said. “I really became a vegetarian in order to get in better shape. I play sports, I take care of myself and I’ve never been more clear-eyed.” Maison Margiela joins a growing number of labels ditching fur, most recently Gucci, Versace, Tom Ford, and Michael Kors among many others. Even entire cities are banning fur, with San Francisco banning the sale of new fur products.
It was at his Fall 2003 Dior show where a PETA protester rushed the stage but was pushed out of the way by one model only to reveal another in a fur coat. It’s also a big decision for the designer who was known for being a fan of fur during his time at Dior. Times are changing indeed. In October, Gucci announced their Spring/Summer 2018 collections would be fur-free, with chief executive and president Marco Bizzarri telling Business of Fashion, “Do you think using furs today is still modern? I don’t think it’s still modern and that’s the reason why we decided not to do that. It’s a little bit out-dated.”