On 14th April 2026, the credit card company Visa Inc. confirmed it had ended its sponsorship of Milan Fashion Week, becoming the third major corporate partner to sever ties with the event amid ongoing anti-fur protests led by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT).
The decision follows a coordinated global campaign launched on 8th January 2026, which has already led to DHL and Wella stepping away from their associations with the fashion event. Over a seven-day period leading up to the announcement, activists organised 13 protests targeting Visa locations and executives’ homes across cities, including London, Munich, New York, and San Francisco, highlighting the financial links between corporate sponsors and the fur trade.
In a direct communication to campaigners, Visa confirmed its position. A representative stated, “Visa has ended its sponsorship of Milan Fashion Week.”
The campaign has also targeted key figures within the fashion industry. Carlo Capasa, President of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), was disrupted during a talk at Bocconi University and later confronted at the European Designer Fashion Summit in Barcelona on 13th April, where he appeared alongside other industry figures.
Despite increasing pressure and the withdrawal of multiple sponsors, CNMI has not introduced a fur-free policy for Milan Fashion Week. Campaigners argue that continued sponsorship enables the use of animal-derived materials on the runway and sustains industries linked to animal exploitation. Suzie Stork, Executive Director of CAFT, welcomed the move, saying, “We commend Visa for making the right decision to cut ties with Milan Fashion Week and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. Three major sponsors have now walked away from CNMI rather than be associated with cruel and outdated fur. The message could not be more clear. Milan Fashion Week’s refusal to go fur-free is a liability, and the corporate world knows it.”
