H&M joins other chains in permanent mohair ban

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
May 2, 2018

H&M announced this week that it has decided to ban mohair from its collections across its chains.  In a very brief statement, the Swedish fashion retail giant said:  “For us it is of utmost importance that animals are treated well and we have therefore decided to permanently ban mohair. We have been in close dialogue with PETA for several years and fully agree with them on this matter."

It added: “H&M group has an Animal Welfare Policy with strict requirements for all animal-deriving materials that we use in our products.”

H&M's announcement came after allegations of animal cruelty at a number of goat farms in South Africa. Mohair is made from the hair of Angora goats and while treatment of these goats hasn't previously been at the forefront of animal cruelty campaigns, a PETA investigation resulted in video footage showing goats being mistreated as they were shorn and other issues.

The retailer’s decision comes as the company separately said that the supply chain from mohair is challenging to control. “A credible standard does not exist, therefore we have decided to ban mohair fibre from our assortment by 2020 at the latest,” Helena Johansson, a spokeswoman for H&M Group, said in an email sent to the Washington Post.

Retailers including Zara, Gap and Topshop have also promised to ban mohair following the allegations.

However, H&M's target date of 2020 (a date also being quoted by Zara owner Inditex) illustrates how it will take some time to trace the source of all its products and get an effective ban in place.

Five-years ago, a raft of fashion chains and brands promise to stop selling Angora products after another PETA video showed cruel treatment of Angora rabbits in factories.