Fur, whether real or not, has split opinions for decades. Nowadays, most consumers and retailers accept that wearing animal fur is wrong, and the fashion industry is starting to agree. 86% of fashion designers refrained from using it during London Fashion Week in 2016, and many high street brands, such as Top Shop and Boots, have had strict anti-fur policies.
Luxury labels such as Gucci, Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo have recently pledged to stop using it as faux-fur has become more popular in recent years. It’s especially important because for animals this isn’t about whether fashion is ethical or not – for them, it’s about life or death.
The most common types of fur such as mink, fox, rabbit, beaver and raccoon will be swapped for a synthetic substitute made from acrylic or polyester fibers. Not only is this good news for our furry friends, but maintenance of these faux-fur garments will actually be easier in the long run.
Fur has been in fashion for years. For many of us, our first encounters with a fur jacket was probably the horrifying moment you realised why Cruella de Vil wanted all those puppies in Disney’s 101 Dalmatians. Whilst fur has been one of the top trends of the past year, consumers aren’t digging the real deal and are opting for faux substitutes instead.
Whether it’s the fur trim on your gloves or the pom-pom at the end of your hat, if it’s real, an animal has definitely suffered for it. Trends move on which begs the question, was that mink coat that hasn’t been worn for the past two years really worth it?
For most of us the answer is no, however there are still designers that use real fur in their latest creations and lots of celebrities that endorse it. This means that despite hundreds of campaigns, the fur industry is still worth $40 billion, and according to the Business of Fashion, their sales have actually increased globally.
According to The Independent, about 85% of fur comes from animals who lived their life on fur farms. The term ‘ethically sourced’ purely sugar coats the bitter and gruesome reality that these innocent animals face. Their quality of life is unbelievable, imagine if your sole purpose was to become a hat?
“There’s simply no such thing as ethically sourced fur. Regardless of what the label says, it’s always the product of an unethical industry that kills living beings for profit.” – PETA, 2018
Ending the use of animals for fashion is one of PETA’s main area of focus. They’re known for collaborating with celebrities in shocking campaigns, a notably memorable one is their series of ‘Here’s the Rest of Your Fur Coat’ adverts from 2010.
A PETA spokeswoman said: “Consumers and retailers need to know that every fur coat, trinket, and bit of trim represents the intense suffering of animals, whether they were farmed or trapped.
“Even in countries that claim to have the highest welfare standards, animals on fur farms suffer from neglect, starvation, and thirst.
It has taken over two decades, but finally more people are taking a stand against the fur industry. Hopefully 2018 sees more designers becoming fur-free.
Green Thoughts 