One of Milan Fashion Weeks official partners has cut ties after pressure from an anti-fur campaign.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wella Drops Sponsorship of Milan Fashion Week After Anti-Fur Protests
International (January 24, 2026) – Wella has officially ended its partnership with Milan Fashion Week (MFW) over the event’s continued use of animal fur.
The decision follows an escalating global anti-fur campaign launched by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) on January 8, which is focused on Milan Fashion Week for its continued use of fur. The campaign soon expanded to include Wella, a multinational beauty company and official partner of the event. This development comes on the heels of major industry shifts, including Condé Nast, the parent company of Vogue, and New York Fashion Week both announcing fur-free policies after being targeted by CAFT.
Over the past two weeks, Wella has faced sustained protests at its studios in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Munich, Warsaw, Paris, Toronto, and Fukuoka. This past weekend, activists expanded the campaign to the United States, staging protests outside the Los Angeles homes of several Wella executives.
In an email sent to CAFT on January 24, 2026, Mallory Martino, Chief People Officer at Wella Company, confirmed the decision, stating, “Wella has decided we are no longer going to sponsor MFW.”
Advocates argue that corporate sponsorships of fur-holdouts like Milan Fashion Week help legitimize an industry built on the confinement, killing, and skinning of animals for fashion.
“We commend Wella for making the right decision to cut ties with Milan Fashion Week and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. The direction of the global fashion industry is unmistakable, and it is moving away from fur. Milan Fashion Week’s refusal to follow suit places it firmly on the wrong side of history,” said Suzie Stork, Executive Director of CAFT.
She adds, “Activists will now shift their focus to Milan Fashion Week’s other official partner, DHL, the global shipping company. We urge DHL to either press Milan Fashion Week to abandon fur or be prepared to face protests worldwide.”
Activists say protests targeting DHL and other Milan Fashion Week partners will continue internationally until they publicly end their involvement with the event, or Milan Fashion Week adopts a fur-free policy.
About CAFT
The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) is a grassroots organization dedicated to dismantling the global fur industry through hard-hitting, volunteer-driven, decentralized pressure campaigns. CAFT represents activists around the world who expose the cruelty of fur farming and to hold corporations accountable for their exploitation of fur-bearing animals.
For more information, visit abolishfur.org or follow CAFT on Instagram @caftusa.
Media Contact:
Suzie Stork
Executive Director
310-853-3476