It has just been announced that actor and activist Emma Watson has adopted Australia’s Good On You brand ratings as her benchmark for sustainable and ethical fashion choices.

This is another milestone in the driving force of fashion which is good for animals, people and environment. 

In short, it’s not enough to look good, and feel good, in our clothes - they have to be good for the planet as well. 

Encouragingly, fashion influencers, global retailers and brands are increasingly recognising the responsibility they hold for their supply chains, which is extending to the welfare of animals, with brands helping to ensure higher standards of animal welfare are met or are moving away from animal-based textiles all together.

Last week, Victoria Beckham announced her decision to say no to fur and exotic leather, quickly followed by 3.1 Phillip Lim, garnering huge positive feedback. 

Over 975 fashion labels including H&M, Michael Kors, Gucci, and Armani have also committed to fur free policies through the Fur Free Retailer global program, not only prioritising animal welfare and consumer demands, but also supporting an end to fur’s image as a ‘luxury’ item. 

Globally, FOUR PAWS campaigns for a permanent ban on the keeping and killing of fur-bearing animals, and an end of the usage of real fur in the fashion industry.

And we are not alone.

Last week, fur farming in the Czech Republic became illegal, the Ukrainian parliament introduced a law proposal to end fur farming and Los Angeles City Council backed a new law to ban the sale of fur fashion in 2021.

Surprisingly to us here in Australia, millions of foxes, minks, rabbits and raccoon dogs continue to be brutally farmed and slaughtered around the world, for their fur every year. 

The global fur trade sources 95 percent of its fur from animals who are forced to live in small wire cages on fur farms. Animals trapped in these cages are denied any natural environment or the ability to express their instinctive behaviour.

At the end of their short lives, their death – by electrocution, gassing or by having their neck broken – is as cruel as their keeping.

And it isn’t just fur that is of concern.

We would like to see the cruelty animals face for fashion and textiles to be something that every shopper and brand is aware of and considers at the point of purchase. FOUR PAWS encourages consumers to become informed by visiting our website and to seek out certified high welfare or animal-free options.

That is why such announcements like Emma Watson supporting Good On You, exotic leather being dropped from designer labels and fashion shows embracing ethical textiles are significant.

It shows that fashion players all over the world are now hearing what many people are telling them: ethical fashion is the future of fashion.

FOUR PAWS is the Australian representative of the global Fur Free Retailer program and collaborated with Good On You on their recent brand scoring system review.

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