Marc Jacobs was bullied by a group of anti-fur activists

«Dear bullies, I feel your hate, your anger, and your pain. I respect your 1st Amendment rights, as well as those of everyone else. What I cannot do is stand by and watch the unjust and hostile verbal, mental, and physical attacks on the innocent people I work with at MARC JACOBS». With these words, the American designer begins a long open letter, published in a post on his personal Instagram account. The post cites the Wikipedia definition of the term “bullying,” but the group he is addressing is not his followers, but rather the anti-fur activists who have terrorized his employees. «Unfortunately, in my current situation with a radical organization (which will remain unnamed) that claims to care about the lives of animals while endangering the well-being of innocent individuals and communities, I have no choice but to give in to a bully,» Jacobs continues, clarifying in the same text that the brand stopped working with fur in 2018, but that it was used in a collaboration in 2022. In that case, the designer states, it was upcycled. «MARC JACOBS does not work with, use, or sell fur, nor will it in the future.»

Marc Jacobs' post does not directly cite the activist group responsible for what happened to the designer and his team - perhaps to avoid giving them publicity - but a recent New York Times article provides clarity. In recent months, reports the American newspaper, the organization CAFT (Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade) has indeed protested with signs, loud instruments, and fake blood outside the homes of dozens of the brand's employees. Marc Jacobs' accusations have been acknowledged by the group in an Instagram post: «After an unrelenting campaign across the United States, Marc Jacobs, America's most influential designer, waves the white flag. This victory was not easily won: it took nearly ten arrests, broken windows, protests outside the homes of Marc Jacobs employees, and hundreds of hours of research. Let this be a warning to the next one who considers not giving up fur», reads the description. The executive director of CAFT expressed enthusiasm for the result and confirmed to the New York Times that protests outside the private homes of Marc Jacobs employees had been ongoing since June 2023, shortly after the show in partnership with Fendi. The show included hats made of fluorescent yellow and white fox fur, but it was recycled material and the items were never for sale, they were only part of the styling.

The director of the anti-fur organization did not appreciate the use of the word “violent” that Jacobs used to describe the attacks on his employees, but the accounts of the targeted individuals do not seem to refute the designer's accusations. Marc Jacobs' PR director, Michael Ariano, recounted being followed on the street by a group of protesters, who also attacked his neighbors, while Laura Neilson, who lives near a senior director of the brand, said she spent Memorial Day (Memorial Day in the United States, May 27) cleaning fake blood off her house walls. In recent years, protests against the use of fur in fashion have become louder and bolder, with an increasing number of protests taking place during Fashion Week shows. Last September, a group of PETA activists managed to infiltrate the runways of Burberry, Coach, Gucci, and Hermés, thus participating in each of these brands' shows by disguising themselves as models or guests. With the return of the fur trend, it is expected that the attack strategies of animal rights organizations will become more coordinated. For now, the director of CAFT has confirmed that the next brand they will target is Max Mara.