Luxury fashion brand Gucci will stop using animal fur in its clothing next year, beginning with its spring-summer collection.

Marco Bizzarri, the Italian firm's president and CEO, announced the fur-free policy Wednesday during the 2017 Kering Talk at the London College of Fashion.

"Being socially responsible is one of Gucci's core values, and we will continue to strive to do better for the environment and animals," he said.

Bizzarri said the decision to end the use of fur in Gucci clothing was in part thanks to the firm's current creative director, Alessandro Michele.

"In selecting a new creative director, I wanted to find someone who shared a belief in the importance of the same values. I sensed that immediately on meeting Alessandro for the first time," Bizzarri said.