A step towards ending animal abuse or another non-binding guideline?
Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) has recently published new guidelines banning animal fur. Is it a crucial step toward eradicating animal abuse? Could be. But the guidelines are voluntary.
Animal fur: the new guidelines
Camera Moda released new regulations on animal fur. Starting from the next edition, September 2026, brands are invited to avoid presenting garments and accessories made from animal fur during Milano Fashion Week shows.
Notice the wording: invited, not required. This is no hard ban. No fines, no disqualification, no exclusion from the official calendar. Creative and entrepreneurial autonomy? Fully intact.
Voluntary by design, but why?
At first glance, a “voluntary ban” sounds like an oxymoron. If it’s voluntary, can we call it a ban at all?
Yet context matters. CNMI’s move doesn’t emerge from nowhere. It builds on a sustainability path the association started back in 2012, and it reflects a concrete legislative fact: Italy banned fur farming as of 2022. You can’t raise animals for fur on Italian soil anymore. Imported fur, however, remains perfectly legal.
So the guidelines sit in a strange in-between space. They echo the law’s spirit without enforcing it. They push toward ethical fashion without punishing those who resist.
Let’s not forget: animal fur is not a necessity. It never was — at least not in any modern context. In 2026, with exceptional faux fur, recycled materials, and innovative textiles on the market, using real fur is an aesthetic choice, not a functional one.
Italy no longer allows animals to be farmed for fur. That’s the law. CNMI’s guidelines simply ask: if we don’t raise them here, why should we showcase them here?
What changes, really?
For many major luxury brands, nothing changes. Gucci, Prada, Armani, Valentino, Versace — they all went fur-free years ago, often ahead of any industry guideline. For them, this is validation, not transformation.
For those still using fur, the message is softer: keep your autonomy, but know the runway is no longer neutral ground. Showing fur in September 2026 won’t get a brand kicked out of Fashion Week. But it might get you noticed — and not in a good way.
That’s the real lever here: reputation. In an industry built on image, reputational pressure can sometimes move faster than legislation. CNMI is betting that fashion houses care more about public perception than about sanctions.
A step or a trick?
Let’s be honest. A genuine ban would require oversight, enforcement, consequences. This has none of that. From a purely legal standpoint, it’s barely more than a strongly worded suggestion.
But here’s where it gets familiar.
If you’ve been following Italian fashion politics lately, you’ve seen this movie before. The voluntary nature of the fur guidelines echoes something much darker: the attempt to make labour exploitation voluntary too.
Remember Article 30 of the Small and Medium Enterprises Bill? Approved by the Senate, debated in the Chamber of Deputies, it tried to exempt major fashion brands from liability for crimes committed along their production chains. Human rights abuses. Wage theft. Caporalato — the gangmaster system that reduces workers to modern slaves.
Widely described as a legal shield for luxury brands, the amendment was eventually withdrawn following protests by trade unions, workers, and the Clean Clothes Campaign. It will now return to the Senate.
But the logic behind it never left: let brands decide for themselves whether to be responsible.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, what does the Camera Moda animal fur ban mean? Is this a definitive victory against animal abuse? No. Absolute bans are still rare, and voluntary guidelines won’t stop every brand.
The fur guidelines say: we invite you to be ethical, but no pressure. Article 30 said: we invite you to monitor your supply chain, but if you don’t, don’t worry — you won’t be liable.
Same melody. Different verse.
No sanctions for fur. No liability for labour. In both cases, the system protects the brand, not the victim — whether that victim is an animal or a worker.
CNMI’s fur guidelines are not bad. They move the needle, however slightly. But they also reinforce a dangerous logic: the idea that the fashion industry should regulate itself voluntarily.
But if the fashion industry can be trusted to self-regulate on animal welfare, why not on human welfare?
Because we’ve already seen the answer. When given the chance to self-regulate on labour, major brands lobbied for a law that said: don’t hold us accountable.
Thoughtful design, a genderless take, and the art of wearing well
This is The Unindustrial Print T‑shirt by Meagratia. In a system that produces tonnes of disposable clothing, we curate: one piece, one story. A radical view for ethical and aesthetic resistance — meaningful garments, an expression of good design. Slow fashion —made to last, made by hand.
The Unindustrial Print T‑shirt arrives with simplicity but not banality. It rests against the skin like a second layer — the kind you forget you’re wearing, but others remember. 100% cotton, soft and sturdy, substantial enough to hold its shape yet breathable for warm days. The design features an asymmetric hemline: rounded at the front, longer and squared at the back. A subtle shift that transforms a classic T‑shirt into a modern silhouette. A vintage-inspired square print on the front carries the Unindustrial concept. A tiny logo rests on the left sleeve. No noise. Just intention.
It honours the philosophy of the Unindustrial collection: “To wear is a necessity, but to wear intelligently is an art.” The fit is comfortable but never slouchy — relaxed enough for movement, refined enough for attention.
White, but not cold. A white that belongs to morning light, fresh paper, and the space between thoughts.
Contemporary garments for modern humans
The design: Round neck, short-sleeved T‑shirt. Asymmetric hem: rounded front, longer squared back. Vintage-inspired square print with the Unindustrial concept. Tiny logo on left sleeve. Comfortable fit. 100% cotton. Colour: white.
The make: Made in Japan — by Meagratia, a unique brand that embodies intelligent craftsmanship. A genuine commitment to good design, to tailoring, to wearing well. Every detail, from the asymmetric cut to the hand-wash recommendation, is curated with integrity and care. No shortcuts. No noise.
The Unindustrial Print T‑shirt: essential, not ordinary
The Unindustrial Print T‑shirt offers something rare: an essential that asks nothing of you except to be worn with awareness. From morning coffee to evening train.
For the studio: tucked loosely into high-waisted trousers. Add a lightweight jacket. A quiet uniform for focused days.
For a weekend walk: worn untucked over cotton trousers or culottes. The squared back provides coverage. Roll the sleeves once. Instant ease.
For an aperitivo: draped over a silk slip dress and flat sandals. The white cotton balances the sheen. Present, but never loud.
For the modern humans who curate, not consume — whose wardrobe is a library of dog-eared favourites, each piece a chapter in their story.
🌟 The Unindustrial Print T‑shirt – Meagratia Limited quantities. Like a well‑chosen word in a world of empty chatter. Designed for daily wear. For personal style. For life.
Available by appointment for private shopping in Milano or worldwide — from screen to doorstep.
P.S. Ask us why an asymmetric hem changes the way you stand. Or how one white T‑shirt, made with intelligence, becomes the most versatile piece you own — from morning light to evening without a single tug at the hem. We are here for the conversations, not just the transactions.
LVMH-owned Italian leather maker lobbied to weaken EU anti-deforestation law while importing hides linked to forest destruction, NGO says
Greenwashing has become so pervasive that the connection between LVMH and deforestation rarely springs to mind when thinking of the luxury giant. But a new investigation by environmental NGO Global Witness suggests it should. The findings, shared exclusively with POLITICO, reveal fresh links between LVMH’s supply chain and forest destruction in South America. They also raise uncomfortable questions about who really pays the price for luxury leather.
LVMH and deforestation: The Global Witness investigation
Global Witness has uncovered evidence that Nuti Ivo — an Italian tannery group owned by LVMH — imported hides from Paraguay through suppliers allegedly tied to large-scale deforestation in the Gran Chaco forest, one of South America’s most threatened ecosystems.
The timing is critical. The EU’s anti-deforestation regulation (EUDR), approved in 2023, is designed to keep products linked to recently cleared land out of European markets. Beef, cocoa, soy, palm oil, and cattle-related products are all covered. But parts of the leather industry are now lobbying for leather to be excluded from the regulation. Their argument is that leather is only a byproduct of the meat industry and therefore should not be considered a driver of deforestation.
One of the most vocal advocates in this debate has been Fabrizio Nuti, CEO of Nuti Ivo and president of Italy’s tannery association. During discussions in the European Parliament, Nuti argued that stricter traceability requirements could become impossible for the sector to manage, especially regarding imports from South America.
Traceability gaps and deforestation links
Yet according to Global Witness, companies connected to Nuti Ivo sourced hides from Paraguayan suppliers linked to over 100,000 hectares of deforestation. Including land claimed by Indigenous communities. Trade records show that in 2025 alone, the Nuti Ivo Group imported thousands of tons of leather from Paraguay. Moreover, traceability remains alarmingly thin: the group can track only part of its hides back to individual slaughterhouses, leaving significant blind spots within the supply chain.
LVMH responded by stating that it is committed to ending deforestation across its operations and supply chains by 2025. The group also said it has never lobbied to weaken the EU deforestation regulation. After being confronted with trade data showing imports from Paraguay, the company described the quantities as “very small” and linked them to contracts that predated its acquisition of Nuti Ivo in 2023. LVMH added that discussions were underway to phase out those remaining agreements.
But environmental organisations disagree with attempts to exempt leather from the EUDR. In a joint letter to the European Commission, groups including Human Rights Watch and ClientEarth argued that excluding leather would undermine the logic of the law: if meat from cattle raised on deforested land is banned, they say, the animal’s skin should not be treated as an innocent byproduct.
Source: POLITICO, reporting on an investigation by NGO Global Witness (published April 27, 2026)
From green certifications to greenwashing: a familiar pattern
This is not an isolated case. In This is Greenwashing, when we tried to find sustainable options to print, we realised how tricky the situation is. Specifically, we acknowledged a global scandal of green labels: companies accused or convicted of environmental crimes continued to obtain and trade under “green” certifications.
“Over a 25-year period (1998–2023), at least 347 companies received sustainability certifications despite being publicly accused of illegal logging, deforestation, or fraudulent environmental practices” (ICIJ, Deforestation Inc., 2023).
In our eBook, we explore how sustainability language can sometimes coexist with business practices that tell a very different story. Especially in industries where supply chains are long, fragmented, and difficult to monitor.
The luxury industry has long sold itself on an idea of perfection. Flawless products, pristine images, and increasingly, unassailable sustainability pledges. But the case of LVMH and deforestation reveals a less polished reality. One where legal loopholes, opaque supply chains, and quiet lobbying efforts can undermine even the most well-intentioned green laws.
If leather is truly a byproduct, then it inherits the environmental cost of the meat it accompanies — not a free pass. The EUDR exists precisely to close that kind of accounting trick. Exempting leather wouldn’t just weaken the regulation; it would signal that luxury, once again, plays by different rules.
For LVMH, the path forward is clear but not easy. Promises to end deforestation by 2025 mean little if supply chains in 2025 are still tied to Paraguay’s disappearing Gran Chaco. The industry needs less lobbying and more traceability. Fewer claims of “very small” quantities and a full accounting of every hide.
Because in the end, green laws don’t fail in Brussels. They fail in the gap between a CEO’s testimony and a forest on fire. And that gap is where luxury must finally choose a side.
Hand-painted linen, worn-in colour, and the quiet charm of the human hand
This is The Striped Bandana by Exquisite J. In a system that produces tonnes of disposable clothing, we curate: one piece, one story. A radical view for ethical and aesthetic resistance — meaningful garments, an expression of good design. Slow fashion —made to last, made by hand.
The Striped Bandana arrives with lightness but not indifference. It rests against the skin like a breath of cool air — the kind you didn’t know you needed. 100% linen, fresh and airy, substantial enough to hold its shape but soft enough to tie, fold, or drape. The green stripes are hand-painted onto the fabric, creating a soft, watercolour-like transition of colour — no two alike. A checkered white-and-blue band with a single pink brushstroke decorates one side. A small, deliberate accent that transforms a simple square into a considered object. Wear it differently each time. Make it yours.
It honours the discipline of craftsmanship: nothing extra, nothing missing. The fringed hems are not an afterthought here — they’re a finish. A soft edge between control and release. The fabric, 100% linen, breathes like nothing else: cool in heat, crisp in humidity. Hand-painted pigment sinks into the fibres like ink into paper — alive, unrepeatable.
Blue and green, but not primary. A palette that belongs to deep water, shaded ivy, and the hour just before rain. The pink brushstroke? A quiet surprise. A wink.
Contemporary artisanal accessories for modern humans
The design: Bandana with hand-painted green stripes (watercolour effect) and fringed hems. One side features a checkered white-and-blue band with a pink brushstroke accent. Generous dimensions: 83 x 90cm. Lightweight, breathable, versatile — wear as a scarf, a necktie, a headband, or a bag accent.
The make: Made in Italy — by a small artisanal brand that oversees every step. Not a label of convenience, but a genuine commitment to craftsmanship. Every detail, from the hand-painted brushstroke to the final fringed edge, is curated with integrity and care. Each piece is one of a kind. No shortcuts. No repeats.
The Striped Bandana: painterly, not ordinary — artisanal, not afraid to be lived
The Striped Bandana offers something rare: an accessory that asks nothing of you. You don’t style it. You just tie it. And the brushstroke does the rest — a single gesture that turns a simple scarf into a signature.
For the studio: folded into a slim band and tied low on a cotton shirt collar. A whisper of colour. Focus with style.
For a walk: worn as a headband on a warm day. Or knotted loosely around a leather tote handle — not for decoration, but because the grip feels better.
For an aperitivo: draped nonchalantly over the shoulders with a simple silk dress. A quiet confidence. Present, but never loud
For the modern humans who curate, not consume — whose wardrobe is a library of dog-eared favourites, each piece a chapter in their story.
🌟 The Striped Bandana – Exquisite J Limited edition — each piece unique, each brushstroke unrepeatable. Like a handwritten sentence in a world of printed text. For personal style. For life.
Available by appointment for private shopping in Milano or worldwide — from screen to doorstep.
P.S. Ask us about why a single pink brushstroke changes everything. Or how to build a uniform around one hand-painted bandana — from morning light to evening without a single tug at the knot. We are here for the conversations, not just the transactions.
From heatwaves to near-record ocean temperatures, Europe remains the fastest-warming continent
According to the latest European State of the Climate report (ESOTC 2025), published by Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organisation, Europe remains the world’s fastest-warming continent.
The report, released on 29 April 2026, documents a year marked by record heatwaves, near-record ocean temperatures, destructive wildfires, shrinking glaciers, and mounting pressure on biodiversity. More than 95% of Europe experienced above-average temperatures in 2025.
Globally, 2025 ranked as the third-warmest year ever recorded, with planetary warming now reaching approximately 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels. If emissions continue at their current pace, the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C threshold could be exceeded before the end of this decade.
Across Europe, the signs of climate change are no longer isolated events but interconnected realities reshaping ecosystems, economies, and daily life.
Copernicus Climate: Europe in 2025
Temperature: Almost the entire continent saw above‑average temperatures. Several northern European countries logged their warmest or second‑warmest year.
Heatwaves: Europe endured its second most-severe heatwave on record; sub‑Arctic Fennoscandia saw its longest.
Wildfires: Record burnt area and fire emissions, led by August fires on the Iberian Peninsula.
Oceans: Highest annual sea surface temperature on record, with 86% of the region experiencing at least “strong” marine heatwave conditions.
Glaciers & snow: Net mass loss across all European glacier regions. Snow cover extent and mass both third lowest on record.
Floods/storms: Strong regional contrasts. Storms and flooding hit some areas, but overall less widespread than in recent years.
Energy: Renewables supplied 46.4% of Europe’s electricity. Solar power set a new contribution record (12.5%).
Temperature across Europe’s land and seas
According to the Copernicus Climate report, Europe is warming more than twice as fast as the global average — and 2025 brought that into sharp focus. On land, almost the entire continent (at least 95%) saw above-average annual temperatures, with Europe suffering its second most severe heatwave on record. At sea, the picture was equally alarming: the annual sea surface temperature for the European ocean region reached an all-time high, and a record 86% of the region experienced at least “strong” marine heatwave conditions.
Hydrological conditions in 2025
In 2025, much of northwestern to eastern Europe was drier than average, with annual precipitation totals 10–40% below normal. This led to record-low soil moisture in some areas and below-average river flow in 70% of Europe’s rivers. In contrast, southwestern and parts of northeastern Europe saw above-average precipitation, soil moisture, and river flow. These patterns also influenced sunshine, cloud cover, and climate-driven renewable power potential.
The contrasts aligned with prevailing atmospheric circulation. High pressure brought drier, sunnier conditions to northwestern, central, and eastern Europe, while low pressure over the North Atlantic shifted storm tracks further south toward southwestern Europe.
Across the Iberian Peninsula, spring brought above-average rainfall, followed by summer heatwaves. This shift created abundant dried vegetation that fueled large wildfires.
Key messages
Soil moisture: 2025 ranked as one of the three driest years for soil moisture across Europe since 1992. In May, 35% of Europe experienced “extreme” agricultural drought.
Precipitation (northwest/central Europe): 2025 ranked among the ten driest years in 47 years for this region — a sharp contrast to the exceptionally wet conditions of 2023 and 2024.
River flooding: Despite several significant flood events, total flooded extent was the second lowest since 1992 and far smaller than the widespread flooding seen in 2023 and 2024.
Extreme precipitation: The share of Europe’s land area affected by extreme precipitation was below average, notably smaller than in several recent years — especially for the most extreme events.
Wildfire emissions: Annual wildfire emissions reached record highs in Spain (where contrasting hydrological conditions fueled large fires), as well as in Cyprus, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Long heatwave in sub-Arctic Fennoscandia
In July 2025, sub-Arctic Fennoscandia experienced its longest and most severe heatwave on record, lasting 21 days from 12 July to 1 August. Temperatures near and within the Arctic Circle reached 30°C.
The region typically sees up to two “strong” heat stress days per year, but in 2025 some areas endured almost two weeks at this level. The combination of dry conditions and high temperatures produced “moderate” to “severe” drought during the heatwave, along with up to two weeks of elevated fire danger.
The heatwave coincided with a marine heatwave in the Norwegian Sea, as well as parts of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Cold environments in a warming climate
From the Alps to the Arctic, Europe’s ice and snow cover is shrinking. The area experiencing winter days with freezing temperatures is also declining.
Snow cover: In 2025, end-of-season snow cover extent and mass were the third lowest in the 42-year record. In March alone, the snow-covered area was roughly 1.32 million km² below average — an area equivalent to France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria combined.
Glaciers: European glaciers recorded a net mass loss in 2025, with the most negative balances observed in Iceland.
Greenland: The Greenland Ice Sheet lost approximately 139 gigatonnes (Gt) of ice in 2025, equivalent to about 1.5 times the total ice stored in all European Alpine glaciers.
Climate policy and action: biodiversity
Biodiversity — the variety of life on Earth — is essential for a sustainable future, yet climate change is a major driver of its decline.
Healthy ecosystems provide clean air and water, fertile soils, and pollination, all of which underpin food security, livelihoods, and human health. Biodiversity also helps regulate the climate and buffers against extreme weather events.
Recognising this link, European policy frameworks have increasingly integrated climate and biodiversity. The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 aims to protect and restore nature. By the end of 2025, approximately half of the Strategy’s recommended actions were either in place or fully completed, with most of the remainder already underway.
Climate’s impact on biodiversity
Marine heatwaves have shifted from occasional to annual events, driving mass mortality, species shifts, and ecosystem disruption. From 2023 to 2025, the entire Mediterranean Sea experienced at least “strong” marine heatwave conditions each year.
Posidonia oceanica seagrass — covering ~19,000 km² of Europe’s coasts — is highly sensitive to heat. Thermal stress has driven a 34% decline in its meadows over 50 years. Yet conservation efforts over the past decade have stabilised some areas, boosting species richness, restoring fish nurseries, and enhancing carbon storage and coastal protection.
Peatland wildfires: Europe has lost more peatland proportionally than any other region. Remaining sites like Deurnsche Peel and Mariapeel (Netherlands) are vital. Dried-out peat ignites easily — in April 2020, a 710-hectare fire burned for four days and smouldered for two months. Such fires kill amphibians, ground-nesting birds, and Sphagnum mosses, degrading habitats. Solutions include green firebreaks, ecological corridors, buffer zones, and native reforestation.
Copernicus Climate: trends in climate indicators
The latest Copernicus Climate data shows a clear pattern: the planet is warming, oceans are absorbing more heat, ice is disappearing, and sea levels are rising. Europe and the Mediterranean are warming significantly faster than the global average.
Ocean heat content (upper 2000 m) has risen steadily since 1993.
Sea level rise (1999–2025)
Global: +3.7 mm per year
Europe: +2–4 mm per year
Greenhouse gases (annual increase since 2020)
CO₂: +2.6 ppm
CH₄: +11.6 ppb
Ice loss accelerating
Arctic sea ice (September): -33% since the 1980s
Antarctic sea ice (February): -20%
Ice loss since the 1970s:
Greenland: -5,747 Gt
Antarctica: -4,876 Gt
Global glaciers: -9,580 Gt
These indicators confirm that climate change is not a distant threat — it is an ongoing transformation already reshaping ecosystems, coastlines, and weather patterns worldwide.
Final thoughts
Reading the Copernicus 2025 Climate report (download it here), one might be tempted to highlight the positives. Renewables at 46%. Solar at a record 12.5%. Half of biodiversity actions completed.
Do not be fooled.
As climate scientist Kevin Anderson has long argued, every metric points the wrong way. Global temperature: up. Ocean heat: up. Sea levels: up. Ice loss: accelerating. Europe’s warming rate: twice the global average. The 1.5°C Paris threshold: set to be breached by the end of this decade — a decade earlier than predicted.
This is not progress. This is managed decline dressed up as hope.
Leaders knew the science. They had the tools. They chose delay. Most importantly, they chose fossil fuels. In doing so, they chose their own political timelines over the planet’s physical timelines. That is not a failure of capability. It is a failure of will — and of conscience.
The report does not show that we are on the right track. It shows that we are running off track, and those at the controls have intentionally refused to brake.
