The Milan Fashion Week faces a new blow: Visa officially announced the end of its sponsorship due to the continued use of fur on the runways. The decision adds to the withdrawal of DHL and Wella, marking the exit of three major corporate sponsors so far in 2026.
The move comes after an international campaign driven by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT), which organized 13 protests in seven days in front of Visa offices in cities like London, Munich, New Jersey, New York, Miami, Atlanta, and San Francisco. Activists also confronted Carlo Capasa, president of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), at academic and fashion events in Europe.
Activists’ Reactions
In a statement, Suzie Stork, executive director of CAFT, celebrated the decision:
“We congratulate Visa for making the right decision by breaking ties with Milan Fashion Week and the CNMI. The message is unequivocal: the refusal to forgo fur represents a risk, and the business world knows it.”
Activists claim they will continue to pressure the remaining sponsors until Fashion Week adopts a fur-free policy.
The Background of the Debate
Fur production has been widely documented as a practice that causes:
- Severe suffering to millions of animals raised in captivity.
- Significant environmental damage due to the use of chemicals in tanning.
- Public health risks, linked to the transmission of zoonotic diseases.
Despite international pressure and the exodus of sponsors, the CNMI maintains its stance of allowing fur on the runways, which has intensified boycott campaigns.
CAFT’s Involvement in the Fight Against Fur Use
The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) is a global grassroots organization seeking to dismantle the fur industry through decentralized pressure campaigns. It represents activists from different countries who denounce the cruelty of breeding animals for fur and demand corporate responsibility in the face of animal exploitation.
Visa’s exit reinforces the message that companies do not want to associate with practices considered cruel and outdated. Milan Fashion Week faces a growing reputational challenge: to adapt to sustainability and ethical demands, or continue losing corporate support in a world increasingly aware of the environmental and social impact of fashion.
