For the first time, animal welfare is explicitly cited by the CEO of one of the world's largest luxury groups.
During the Capital Markets Day held in Florence on April 16, Kering CEO Luca de Meo made remarks that are difficult to ignore for anyone involved in fashion and animal welfare:
"Evolving client expectations, client pressure and animal welfare considerations require us to broaden our material universe".
"When one of the world's largest purchasers of leather publicly announces its intention to structurally reduce its dependence on leather and invest in next-generation materials, it sends a signal that the entire sector cannot ignore.
We call on the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy to seize this opportunity and take concrete action.
Italy is already home to a network of micro-enterprises and SMEs investing in industrial research, experimental development, and the production of next-generation materials—biotech textiles, regenerated fibers, and alternatives to animal-derived leather.
These companies are often highly innovative but remain undersized compared to the scale challenges imposed by the market.
What is needed is a dedicated support plan: research incentives, easier access to capital, certification programs, and international promotion initiatives.
The future of Made in Italy is also being built in these laboratories.
It would be paradoxical—and a missed opportunity—if the transition toward alternative and animal-free materials were to take place without Italy being able to recognize, support, and promote those who are already driving this transition."
— Simone Pavesi, Head of LAV's Animal-Free Fashion Unit
For the first time, animal welfare has been explicitly cited by the CEO of one of the world's largest luxury groups as a strategic reason for rethinking material choices.
This is not merely a statement of intent, but a concrete commitment made before the international financial community during a formal event addressed to investors.
De Meo also stated:
"We are diversifying our material portfolio to reduce dependency on constrained resources. We are accelerating the development of next-generation materials through our material innovation lab and strategic partners".
Full traceability and responsible sourcing are defined as "non-negotiable."
The CEO concluded the section with a clear commitment: no operational justification will ever be accepted as an excuse for failing to meet the sustainability commitments undertaken.
Kering is the parent company of Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, and other iconic global luxury brands, many of which are closely associated with Made in Italy.
As LAV, we welcome this direction. The explicit recognition of animal welfare as a determining factor in the strategic decisions of a major luxury group represents a significant cultural step forward, as well as an important industrial development.
"Kering's commitment is significant. However, for the sake of consistency, the Group should progressively increase this percentage until it completely phases out animal leather and, more broadly, all materials derived from animal exploitation, given the negative externalities associated with these supply chains: impacts on animal welfare and the environment, biodiversity loss and illegal trafficking (with specific reference to exotic skins), and public health risks related to zoonotic diseases linked to animal production."
— Simone Pavesi, Head of LAV's Animal-Free Fashion Unit
If Kering—whose identity and commercial success have been built for decades in part on leather products—is able to set ambitious and measurable targets for reduction and diversification, there is no valid reason why other major fashion groups cannot do the same.
The technologies already exist, the alternative materials market is growing rapidly, and consumer demand is evolving.
As LAV, we will continue to monitor the effective implementation of these commitments and encourage the rest of the industry to ensure that the path charted by Kering becomes the norm rather than the exception.