Serge Brunschwig’s comment on the relationship between fashion and animal materials can be paraphrased like this: free leather in free fashion. The CEO and president of Fendi, speaking with the Spanish newspaper Expansión, first of all confirms the commitment of the LVMH group maison to issues of sustainability and supply chain transparency. But then he asks for the autonomy of brands and consumers to be recognised in making the choice they prefer. Who is it for? The stone guest of reflection, ça va sans dire, is the vegan opposition.
Free leather
“Our mission is the ethical distribution of quality leathers to our customers – says Brunschwig – who have freely chosen to wear leather”. Note that in Spanish the word piel also indicates fur leathers, therefore including shearling and fur. This is why the manager makes a transversal talk on animal materials, even when he assures that Fendi “is committed to respecting transparency, because today it is the key, since customers not only buy a product, but a set of values that represent a specific brand”. The interesting passage, however, is that relating to the brand’s intention to “firmly respect the freedom and opinion of everyone”. Including, we explain, those who abhor animal materials. The wish, therefore, is to receive the same respect from the opposing party, which instead denies any space for leather and fur in fashion.
Quality in the time of the coronavirus
In his conversation with the Spanish newspaper, Brunschwig cannot escape current events. Coronavirus looms over luxury activities, affecting the brand’s strategies. “Customers are looking for a quality product – he explains -. Meaning that they want to buy less, but better”. On the other hand, the top of the range is “the combination of traditional savoir faire and unbridled modernity – he concludes -. It is an artisan tradition tailored to the spirit of the time, because perfection does not move people. When society moves quickly, we have to anticipate it”.
Read also:
- “What’s better than leather?” Asks Burke, CEO of Vuitton
- PETA attacks Vuitton, the brand responds (from a distance) like this
- Vogue really miss the point about tanning and livestock relationship
