Luxury fashion designer, Giorgio Armani, has taken a stand against animal cruelty by pledging to end his company's relationship with fur.
The Italian fashion house will ensure all of its products — such as those from Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange — no longer use real animal fur, beginning with the group's Fall/Winter 2016 collection.
The move by the Armani group follows years of animal rights activists campaigning for brands to drop the use of fur, with many groups putting their message across with protests, investigations and online petitions.
Animal rights nonprofit PETA called the announcement a "remarkable victory", after the luxury brand collaborated with animal protection advocates, Humane Society International and Fur Free Alliance, to terminate its relationship with the material.
The 81-year old designer said Armani group was making a "firm commitment" to eliminate animal fur from its collections, underlining the need to protect and care for animals and the environment.
"Technological progress made over the years allows us to have valid alternatives at our disposition that render the use of cruel practices unnecessary as regards animals," Giorgio Armani said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Humane Society International echoed Armani's comments, saying the fashion label was generating a "powerful message" to the rest of the industry, underlining how other designers who still use fur should take note.
Armani follows in the footsteps of other popular fashion brands who have ditched the material from its collections, such as Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger.
"Armani's fur-free announcement makes it clear that designers and consumers can have creative freedom and luxury all without supporting animal cruelty," said Fur Free Alliance's Chairman, Joh Vinding.
"This latest announcement is proof that compassion and innovation are the future of fashion."
—By CNBC's Alexandra Gibbs, follow her @AlexGibbsy and @CNBCi