H&M Executives Offer No Commitments on Wool During PETA Meeting
Fast-fashion giant met with animal rights group following a New York Fashion Week incident, but PETA reports no promises were made.
H&M executives met with representatives from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on September 25, following an altercation at a New York Fashion Week show that involved an H&M executive. The meeting, held via Zoom, aimed to discuss PETA's investigation into the wool industry, but according to PETA, it yielded no concrete commitments from the Swedish fashion retailer.
Anne Brainard, PETA's senior director of strategy, described the meeting as a "check the box" exercise, stating, "They made no commitments. They acknowledge the use of animals is unacceptable. But they don’t change." She added that H&M and its brand COS are currently PETA's "most public target" regarding wool, and the organization intends to continue its advocacy through shareholder meetings and public demonstrations.
Attending the Zoom call for H&M were Cecilia Stromblad Brannsten, head of resource use for H&M group, and Markus Ahlberg, head of sustainability engagement. PETA has a long-standing campaign against the fashion industry's use of wool, and has previously engaged H&M on various animal welfare issues.
In the past, H&M has agreed to cease the use of fur, exotic skins, angora, and materials from endangered species due to PETA's pressure. However, the group reports that the company has not made similar agreements regarding its wool sourcing.
The recent meeting was prompted in part by an incident at a COS fashion show in Manhattan, where PETA activists disrupted the event. During the disruption, Steven Kolb, chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), was seen restraining a protester. Video footage showed Kolb covering the protester's mouth as she spoke out against the wool industry's alleged mistreatment of sheep during shearing.
Kolb later issued an apology for his actions and subsequently resigned from his 20-year position at the CFDA. H&M had previously stated regarding the incident, "Animal welfare is very important to us, and we agree with PETA that no animals should be harmed to make fashion."
The company declined to comment on the specifics of its discussion with PETA or any further actions it may take in response to the fashion show incident.