RSPCA: It's official: fur is a fashion faux pas

Tuesday, 12 October 2010 12:00 AM

An overwhelming 95 per cent of the public say they would never wear real fur, according to a new RSPCA poll* published today (Tuesday).

Strong public opposition to fur shows that the fashion companies who excelled at the RSPCA's Good Business Awards know what consumers want.

High street fashion chains New Look and Marks & Spencer, and independents The North Circular, Junky Styling, Finisterre and Nature's Boutique all received awards for their strong animal welfare policies at a ceremony last week. George at Asda, Eloise Grey and Rapanui were also highly commended.

Fashion designer and Good Business Awards judge Wayne Hemingway said: "I'm repulsed by the idea of wearing fur and I can't understand why anyone would want to drape themselves in it in the name of fashion.

"I hope this encourages others in the fashion industry to revise their policies on fur and other animal products and consider entering the Good Business Awards next year.
Fur looks so much better on the animal than the catwalk."

The poll also revealed that 93 per cent of people think products should be clearly labelled as real or fake fur, and more than half said it would stop them buying the item if it wasn't labelled.

Seventy-seven per cent of people asked thought price would be a big indication of whether a product contained real or fake fur. In fact, real fur can be purchased at high street prices.
RSPCA head of external affairs Paul Littlefair said: "The RSPCA is pleased that high street names are putting the welfare of animals and the concerns of their customers first.

"Despite the well-documented suffering involved in fur production, many designers persist in using fur in their collections. However, as this survey shows, most consumers are refusing to buy it."
Dog pelts. An EU ban on the import of dog and cat fur came into effect in 2008

The RSPCA was disappointed to see that the 2010 autumn catwalk collections showcased more than 400 designers using real fur. This is despite a growing awareness of the ethical issues surrounding fur and its production.

Animals farmed for their fur are often confined to tiny, barren cages and denied opportunities to perform many natural behaviours.

Only fashion companies which do not use any fur are eligible to enter the RSPCA Good Business Awards.

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