In a reflection of its brand ethos and the expectations of its customers, ba&sh developed a robust animal welfare policy. Today, the company’s efforts have been rewarded with recognition by the Fur Free Retailer programme, the leading standard for companies that choose to go fur-free.

Pierre-Arnaud Grenade, CEO of ba&sh:

‘From removing fur from our collections in 2019 and banning mulesing to setting ourselves the goal of sourcing 100% of our wool from supply chains with certified animal welfare standards, ba&sh has demonstrated its commitment to prioritising the comfort and well-being of animals. Today, we are honoured to become a “Fur Free Retailer”, an achievement that motivates us to persevere with our work to promote animal welfare alongside our partners One Voice and Four Paws.’

Muriel Arnal, president of One Voice:

‘As the representative of the Fur Free Alliance in France, One Voice is thrilled to welcome ba&sh to the cause. The brand thoroughly deserves to join the Fur Free Retailer programme and we are proud to see that our fight for more ethical fashion and the end of fur is making progress in France and around the world!’

Joh Vinding, Chairperson of the Board of the Fur Free Alliance: 

‘The Fur Free Alliance is delighted that ba&sh, a French company that has already adopted an ethical business approach, has confirmed this commitment through recognition by the Fur Free Retailer programme, supported by our international coalition to stop the production and sale of fur worldwide.’ 

 Jessica Medcalf, animal welfare and textiles programme manager at Four Paws:

‘Four Paws has worked hand in hand with ba&sh to develop its animal welfare policy, which has now been explicitly endorsed by the Fur Free Retailer programme. Animal rights and welfare are demanding and ongoing battles that require a strong commitment from companies, and we’re thrilled to see that ba&sh is taking this issue so seriously!’

ba&sh joins forces with the Fur Free Alliance to combat the use of animal fur

A resolutely committed brand that, through its actions, promotes a more responsible textile sector, ba&sh and its teams have always taken the issue of animal welfare extremely seriously. In 2019, ba&sh took the step of banning the use of fur from its collections on ethical grounds: fur production techniques necessarily involve animal suffering – whether the animals are farmed (overcrowding leading to stress, infections, injuries, even self-mutilation, etc.) or wild (violent trapping and capture, painful killing, etc.) – and have a damaging impact on biodiversity and the environment.

The partnership with the Fur Free Alliance (FFA), represented in France by the NGO One Voice, is the natural extension of the brand’s convictions. The FFA, which is made up of NGOs from every continent, brings together companies that call for a world – and therefore a fashion industry – that is more respectful of the welfare and sensitivity of animals. Contractually, the award of the Fur Free Retailer label means that the brand formally undertakes not to sell any products containing animal fur.

Fur and beyond: ba&sh’s myriad commitments to animal welfare

This recognition of the brand’s stance against animal fur is part of ba&sh’s broader animal welfare policy. Reviewed and tested by the NGO Four Paws, which defends the rights of animals under direct human influence, the policy considers the traditional ‘Five Freedoms’, as well as several powerful actions such as banning the use of angora, down and feathers, and banning the practice of mulesing (ba&sh is a signatory of the Four Paws Brand Letter of Intent). The brand has also set itself the target of sourcing 100% of its animal fibre from providers with certified animal welfare standards by 2025 (2027 for alpaca).

Finally, in April 2022, ba&sh supported the ‘Fur Free Europe’ European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), which aims to ban fur farms and fur product imports into the European Union, and which has gathered more than 1.7 million signatures of support from European citizens in less than a year. ba&sh contributed to the initiative by signing a joint letter from NGOs to the European Commission and promoted the ECI internally and on social media. The signatures are in the process of being validated prior to submission to the EU institutions.