Zac Posen Fall Winter 2010
The Fall Winter 2010 catwalks have featured a lot of fur so far, and I am sure there is more to come from Milan and Paris. I feel I need to address the issue of fur, since it is a controversial one and I am a fur lover. I don’t wish to offend any anti-fur readers, so I’d like to explain my reasons for loving fur (aside from the fact that it is very soft) and how I feel about its role in the industry.
I know it is bad to kill animals. I love animals, and my husband and I are counting down the days before we can get a dog (or three.) I am not a big fur consumer, but I do have some which I have bought both new and second hand. I can’t afford a lot of fur as it is very pricey, and the anti-fur campaigners have made it pretty uncomfortable to wear fur on the streets. I am afraid someone might spit or damage my fur. But I love it, and I love the few fur coats, jackets, shoes, and accessories I have.
Matthew Williamson Fall Winter 2010
There are many arguments for and against fur consumption. Fur is considered to be the “greener” option, but the tanning products can also be very bad for the environment. When it is a by-product of something we eat, can be considered more acceptable? There are “humane” ways of killing fur, but I also know how badly most of the animals killed for fur are treated, and how horrific their deaths are. But is it any worse than the way we kill them for food? Or the way our polluted environments affect animal’s habitats?
Peta, the animal rights campaigners, have a lot of resources and a lot of money, and sometimes I wonder if some of that money would be better spent fighting poverty in the US, or helping people in the third world countries. I know that someone needs to look out for the animals, but I resent how Peta has managed to brand themselves as a glamorous charity that recruits celebrities and gets a lot of publicity. I feel they have an unfair advantage, and I feel that those resources could be dedicated to fighting more serious causes.
Michael Kors Fall Winter 2010
I love natural fibres, not only do I think they feel good but there is something about having a natural fibre against your skin, that is incomparable to synthetics. Cotton, linen, silk, wool, cashmere, and fur are beautiful materials, that feel good and have been proven, for centuries, to be excellent fabrics.
My problem with the anti-fur brigade is this: I don’t feel the fur industry deserves such hateful campaign against them, when they account for such a tiny part of the fashion industry. It is bad, and I completely respect people’s choices not to wear or buy fur. But my mother says you have to “choose your battles” and the tiny fur industry is not one I feel merits the attention that it gets.
Oscar de la Renta Fall Winter 2010
I tried to get some statistics about the fur and fashion industry, and here is what I found: according to Man in Nature, worldwide fur sales in 2005 accounted for 12.8 billion US dollars. The fashion and apparel industry accounted for 182.306 billion US dollars in 2005. That means the fur industry represents less than one percent of the total clothing industry.
If you buy a fur coat, it will last you many years, or decades. It keeps you warm. You pass it on to your children, and grandchildren. You don’t buy a new fur coat every season.
I believe that the environmental damage caused by synthetic fabric manufacturing is far more damaging to the environment and its inhabitants than the fur industry. l I decided to do some research in order to validate my argument, and I found these facts, from this very interesting website.
“Most synthetic fabrics, from towels to dress shirts to bed linens, are treated with chemicals during and after processing. These chemicals not only leach into the environment, leaving an impact on groundwater, wildlife, air and soil, but they also may be absorbed or inhaled directly.”
“Petrochemical dyes, which pollute waterways, are used for color.
The chemicals used in synthetic clothing have been linked to health problems including cancer, immune system damage, behavioral problems and hormone disruption.”
I try and avoid synthetic fibres as much as possible, I know they are bad for the environment, the chemicals used in production can be extremely hazardous, and I simply prefer natural fibres. (I’ll take this moment to say that I am completely aware of the environmental damage that cotton production causes.) If the fur industry accounts for less than one percent of the industry, does it deserve the attention it gets? I don’t feel it does.
Antonio Berardi Fall Winter 2010
Regardless of your side of the argument, there is no doubt that buying less, higher quality clothing will not only minimize the number of animals being killed, but will also reduce the environmental impact of the fashion supply chain. For me, fur is a beautiful luxury, and I don’t think the global demand will weaken. I know that I won’t stop loving it. I hope we can find more humane and ethically correct ways of sourcing fur, which help to appease the anti-fur campaigners, and give us fur lovers a better option to buy from.
All images from Style.com.
