Stylish Interview with Arnaud Brunois, Luxury Faux Fur Expert

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There are trends that we love to see adapt and adopt a new ethical stance. This is the case, for example, with fur.

So yes, it’s beautiful, it’s chic and it’s soft, but killing animals to dress ourselves? Objectively, it’s outdated and cruel.

At Ecopel, fake fur is reinvented as modern, trendy and above all luxurious.

We met Arnaud Brunois, Communication and Sustainable Development Manager at the Who’s Next event in Paris and his energy in developing a cruelty-free luxury fake fur enchanted us.

By the way, if you couldn’t attend Who’s Next and you want to know absolutely everything about this season’s trends, I recommend watching Victoria’s vlog, our sublime fashion reporter Modalova who sneaked in (legally!) to the event.

Hello Arnaud, can you tell us about Ecopel?

Ecopel is a Franco-Chinese company that was founded in 2004, specializing in fake fur with a simple concept: to sell an ethical alternative to luxury furs. At the time, it was much less trendy and widespread than it is now.

My job? Ensuring animal protection and finding greener synthetic materials for the environment.

The story of Ecopel begins in luxury

Guess, Armani and Stella McCartney were the first to join Ecopel to adopt the fake fur trend. Quickly, the situation evolved and it was with the English fashion designer Stella McCartney that fake fur gained momentum. “Stella McCartney has very strong convictions, she is a vegetarian, she does not use leather. She was a pioneer and her vision appealed to the management of Ecopel.”

The ethical turning point in the fashion world came in 2017, when the luxury house Gucci declared that it would no longer use animal fur.

For me, there is a before and after Gucci. The anti-fur effect has become the norm and forty major textile players have declared themselves against the use of animal fur.

Is it also part of your job to convince luxury brands to switch to fake fur?

Yes, because we collaborate with animal protection NGOs. We appreciate their work because they have a role that is not easy, which is to show brands what they don’t want to see: the reality of animal fur and battery farming. It’s ugly and it’s also harmful to the environment. My role is positive by offering alternatives. Associative work is crucial and we cannot only condemn brands that use animal fur without offering an alternative solution.

Is it difficult to convince these brands?

It’s much easier than before, but there are still some brands that continue to use animal fur, such as foxes or raccoons for example.

For several reasons, one of which is, I think, tradition. Some brands have been making fur for a long time, it’s a deeply rooted tradition and they have difficulty opening up to more futuristic or ethical materials. There is also a financial reason, as some mink fur coats can sell for 20,000 or 30,000 euros. These are not numbers that we can achieve with fake fur, even if some of very high quality can sell for 5000 euros. So there is a profit that can be made with animal fur that makes some houses reluctant to give it up. That’s my interpretation in any case.

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What is the difference in lifespan between a real fur and a fake fur jacket?

Real fur is supposed to last for several decades and that’s probably true, although I’ve never worn it. Animal fur is treated with chemicals, which gives it that durable look. Without this treatment, fur, which is an organic material, would not last very long. In addition, animal fur has to be stored in a cold room in the summer, which is very energy-intensive. A fake fur lasts less long, from eight to ten years, but it has the advantage of being much more ecological. Of course, it also needs to be maintained, but you can leave it in a closed garment bag in the summer.

All patterns are possible with fake fur! We love the timeless leopard print that allows you to be trendy and ethical at the same time! No more excuses for wearing a dead animal on your back.

What are your innovations?

We said to ourselves, “we have to spare the animals because the breeding conditions are horrible.” We have developed three major innovations in greener and more virtuous textile fibers at Ecopel:

• The Gatcha: Fake fur made with biodegradable fibers. If this fiber ends up in nature, it degrades in three months.
• Recycled fibers: Since 2019, we have released a beautiful range of fake furs made with 80 to 100% recycled fibers. These fibers can also be recyclable.
• The Kanecaron: Kanecaron, also known as “acrylic fashion,” is an extremely fine and silky fiber. It is also used for hair extensions. It is a Japanese company that supplies us regularly. The product is of excellent quality and is made in accordance with very strict environmental standards, labeled Ecotext (responsible use of chemicals that are non-toxic to nature or humans).

We are also the first to have created a biofabricated fake fur that contains corn-based plant ingredients. It is very interesting to work with a different material that has a lower environmental impact than ordinary synthetic materials. Corn is perfect for luxury brands because we inaugurated this innovation with the designer Stella McCartney.

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How are the dyes treated?

In the conventional way, with natural or synthetic chemicals. The same ones used by all textile manufacturers. We have a project that is confidential for now with a major luxury group that will allow us to work on dyes in a more eco-friendly way.

Chemicals for dyeing consume a lot of water. The solution we provide is to use a water treatment plant. We manage to reuse 99% of our wastewater. Water consumption is a concern for the textile industry in general.

At Ecopel, we are fully committed to sustainability and we provide a solution at every stage of production. From the choice of fiber to dyeing, from water recycling to the end of the fur’s life where we encourage recycling. To improve our impact at the end of the product’s life, we avoid using blended fibers that are very difficult to recycle.

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Does public opinion matter?

We can no longer escape these images of animal cruelty and the interest is that they come from NGOs. I believe a lot in the power of NGOs and whistleblowers who are opposed to the smooth language of lobbies. If you look at the websites of fur or wool lobbies, you get the impression that animals are happy to die to become a jacket. For me, this work on social networks restores some truth.

Is it necessary to show shocking images to make progress?

I think it’s important, without overwhelming people. It’s important to offer alternatives and to be honest. That’s what we do at Ecopel: if you are a brand and you want to make fur, choose fake fur, it’s better not to kill animals. If you want to be 100% ecological, go for linen or hemp because synthetic materials are not ideal. We are not at all into greenwashing. I openly say that if you have any doubts, don’t do either one. Animal fur has a major impact on the environment, let’s not forget that.

You are collaborating with PETA UK on a topic that concerns the Royal Family?

We have a great collaboration on a particular topic: the hats of the royal guard, which are made of black bear skin. Nobody knew, and frankly, there is no longer any excuse to kill hundreds of bears a year to make ornaments when there are alternative materials available. We have been running this campaign for several years with PETA UK and we hope that in 2023, with the new King Charles III, this practice will stop.

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Finally, can you tell us about the Seaqual initiative?

It’s a great project that is very close to my heart because I love the sea. Seaqual is an organization based in Spain that collects plastic waste from the sea. Fishing nets bring back as much plastic as fish, it’s really alarming! We