Visa pulls Milan sponsorship
Visa reportedly ended its partnership with Milan Fashion Week after concerns about fur appearing on runways, a sponsorship split flagged by reporting tied to the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade. The termination is framed as a commercial reaction to fur’s continued presence rather than just public criticism. (qipaoandcheongsam.com)
Visa has ended its partnership with Milan Fashion Week, according to reporting published April 15 and statements cited from the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade. (fashionnetwork.com) The split makes Visa the third corporate sponsor to leave in 2026 after DHL and Wella, both of which activists also linked to pressure over fur on Milan runways. The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, which organizes Milan Fashion Week, staged its Fall/Winter 2026-2027 shows from February 24 to March 2. (fashionnetwork.com) (milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it) Activists from the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade said they launched the campaign on January 8 and planned 14 protests during the February-March shows, with additional daily actions outside official events. FashionUnited reported demonstrations outside Visa offices and pressure directed at Carlo Capasa, the president of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. (fashionunited.com) (fashionnetwork.com) Milan is under pressure because other fashion capitals have already moved further on fur. FashionUnited reported that London, New York, Berlin, Copenhagen and several other fashion weeks have adopted bans, while Milan remained one of the few major platforms without a fur-free policy. (fashionunited.com) The fight is narrower than “fashion versus fur” because many Italian luxury groups already changed course. Fur Free Alliance said Gucci, Versace, Armani, Prada, Valentino and Dolce & Gabbana had adopted fur-free policies before this year. (furfreealliance.com) One of the biggest holdouts, Max Mara Fashion Group, announced a fur-free policy on August 6, 2024 after a global pressure campaign. Fur Free Alliance said the group confirmed it would not sell fur online or in stores and had no plans to introduce fur in upcoming collections. (furfreealliance.com) That left Milan Fashion Week exposed to scrutiny over the smaller number of brands still showing fur, especially Fendi. FashionNetwork said Fendi remained among the labels in Milan still using fur, even as Maria Grazia Chiuri’s February 2026 debut there leaned more on shearling than on traditional fur pieces. (fashionnetwork.com) The sponsorship picture is also murkier now on Milan’s own site. The current partner page for Milano Fashion Week lists categories such as official train, media, water and wine partners, but the text snippet visible in search results does not show Visa among them. (milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it) Visa has not posted a public press release about leaving Milan Fashion Week in its newsroom or sponsorship pages that surfaced in search results. For now, the public record rests on trade reporting, activist statements and Milan’s current partner listings rather than a direct company announcement. (corporate.visa.com 1) (corporate.visa.com 2)
