Are you excited to read the topic Is Gucci Cruelty-free?
Customers inquire if the product is cruelty-free or assessed on animals and there are a few brands who liberally put a clause that their products are cruelty-free to keep a sustainable image in the community. There is no legitimate definition for cruelty-free and hence, some cosmetics and fashion houses practice this term copiously for their products. There is no relative opinion of ‘cruelty-free’- it must be absolute.
Either the companies must stop using and testing on animals or accept that they are. With the surge in consciousness towards the plight of animals backed by establishments to protect animal rights, fashion houses are all ears and some of them are making substantial endeavors towards a cruelty-free future. One such fashion house is Gucci, whose parent company is Coty, who explicitly claims that they do not test on animals.
Is Gucci Really Cruelty-free?
No, Gucci is not completely free from animal cruelty. When we speak about ‘free from animal cruelty, it means ensuring no animal involvement at any point from the procurement of raw materials to the final consumption of the said product. The intent of the brand owners and product manufacturers is very critical here. If in case, the manufacturer is getting their product tested on animals through any third party, then the intent is defeated.
Here, Gucci might be still testing on animals either themselves or through third-party companies, the fact of which is most likely to be eliminated from their labels. However, in 2017, the fashion company pledged to stop using fur in its collection. Thereafter, there were no such instances or any evidence in the public domain which would draw enough inferences about them using animal fur.
The Iconic History of Gucci
Gucci, the luxury fashion house, has had its roots in Florence, Italy since 1921 and the company has not looked back since then. The founder, Guccio Gucci, learned about different fabrics, traveling conditions, and fashion tastes while working as a bellhop at a hotel in London and further used the knowledge for his shop where he sold imported leather baggage.
During the rise of fascism in Italy, Gucci faced the scarcity of leather which pushed him to use fabrics such as jute, linen, raffia, and wood in his products while giving a livelihood to many local artisans. Soon, the whole family got involved in the shop and took it towards new heights. During World War I & II, the brand-house made boots for the infantry and cotton canvas with the Gucci crest on it, which later became synonymous with Florence.
Since then, the company has diversified its product lines, which have purses, shoulder bags ready-to-wear, footgear, accouterments, make-up, colognes, and home decors. From a single store in Florence to 487 stores worldwide is a long journey which Gucci has made and today stands as a billionaire company employing about 17000 people.
Gucci and Its Innovations
The iconic ‘rhombi’ motif was a creation of Gucci, which was a sensation back in the late 1930s. The new tanning technique which produced ‘cuoio grasso’ became the trademark of Gucci in 1935. The Italian fashion house, Gucci, has been making advances towards the use of cruelty-free leather alternatives in their merchandise. They crafted leather from 77% raw plant-based materials and leaped the innovation of a new textile named Demetra. It took years of dedication and research to develop this material, which is now used to create the signature style merchandise for which the brand is widely known.
Is Gucci a Vegan Brand?
Before discussing whether Gucci is vegan, let us first understand the meaning of the word vegan. By vegan, we know that anything or everything we consume is animal-free. Any product or merchandise is said to be a ‘vegan’ product when, during the manufacturing of such product/merchandise, no animal is compromised. For instance, if a person is using a jacket or a scarf that is not made of either animal hide or wool, or any other animal fossil, the product is said to be a vegan product.
Now, while discussing whether Gucci is vegan or otherwise, we need to first admit as also mentioned above that, Gucci has been promising to be offering products that are free from animal cruelty however, it has never claimed to be selling only those products which are completely vegan. Therefore, it can be easily comprehended that Gucci is neither completely animal cruelty-free nor completely vegan. People who are looking out for vegan products or products which are free from animal cruelty shall exercise utmost care while reading out the Gucci product information label.
The vegan products offered by Gucci are:
- Sunglasses
- Watches
- Shirts
- Fine Jewelry
- Fashion Jewelry
- Seasonal Items like rubber slides, canvas sneakers, and vegan hats.
Conclusion
Though PETA has named Gucci as one of the 12 most Ethical Fashion Companies in 2021, customers need to watch out for their products and do not trust the merchandise label blindly. ‘Vegan’ and ‘cruelty-free’ are used synonymously by fashion brands, which is often ambiguous and baffling since there is no legal definition to what they mean. Such claims apply to the finished products and not to the raw materials bought from suppliers, contract laboratories who perform animal testing to confirm the safety of the product. Fashion houses that use furs, hides of cattle and exotic animals, and angora wool may claim that they no longer use these in their products, however, for other products, they may finance third-party companies for animal testing by selling the merchandise in mainland China.
