Fashion brands Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo to stop using fur

Fashion brands Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo have pledged to stop using real fur in their products.

The American company Michael Kors, which acquired the luxury shoemaker earlier this year, will phase out using real fur by the end of 2018.

The designer said on Friday: "Due to technological advances in fabrications, we now have the ability to create a luxe aesthetic using non-animal fur.

"We will showcase these new techniques in our upcoming runway show in February."

The company is the latest in a series of major fashion brands to shun animal fur.

Humane Society International praised the decision, with its president Kitty Block saying: "Killing animals for fur is cruel and outdated, and so it's hugely exciting to see forward-looking fashion designers such as Michael Kors take fur out of their collections.

"It's clear that consumer demand for ethical fashion includes a strong desire for an end to fur, and so we are delighted to welcome Michael Kors as a fur-free leader in luxury fashion alongside the likes of Gucci, Armani, Yoox Net-a-Porter, Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss."

It comes after Old Spitalfields Market in London banned the sale of fur from January in what was called a victory for animal rights campaigners.

Last month, crowds of activists protested outside the opening of Canada Goose’s newly-opened Regent Street store over the high-end brand’s use of coyote fur.

Additional reporting by Press Association.