I want you to cast your minds back. Back to your childhoods, back to your teen years, maybe back to being a parent. Whoever you are reading this there is no doubt in my mind that you will have watched, or at least heard of 101 Dalmatians: In summary – one woman’s quest to kill and skin 101 Dalmatian puppies in a bid for ‘this seasons’ coat.
Yes, this is an ethics blog. Don’t worry! It’s not story time. What I’m getting at is the subject of animals in fashion. More precisely, the ethical debate behind animal furs and skin.
Millions of animals, year on year are ‘sacrificed’ in the name of fashion.
“Frederick: I thought we liked stripes this year.
Cruella De Vil: What kind of sycophant are you?
Frederick: Uh… what kind of sycophant would you like me to be?”
(101 Dalmatians, 1996)
Maybe there are true ‘Cruella De Vil’s’ out there, that dream of Dalmatian fur coats and I know there are people out there who strut around in Snakeskin boots and use Alligator bags. Well, I know my mum has a fox fur coat up in our attic that she bought with a couple of pay cheques back in the 80’s. She never wears it. She says it feels ‘wrong’.
Fashion is a fast paced business, reliant on trends and followers. Mondays latest handbag is sooo last season by Friday, how can anybody compete with that? Is it right that as human beings, we allow a small minority (the fashion houses/designers) to dictate the way we use animals in fashion? It could be argued however, that it is the consumers (us) who dictate what appears on the shelves, through demand and popular culture.
“I live for fur. I worship fur”
(Cruella De Vil, 1996)
The issue here maybe is down to the individuals’ own personal ethical and moral beliefs. If something looks good of course you want to buy it, but maybe we need to second think where it actually came from. Did you know that to make one fur coat it takes at least fifty-five wild mink, or one hundred chinchillas? It could take twenty-five skunk, fourteen otters or even eleven silver foxes?
“Any way you want. Poison them, drown them, bash them on the head. Got any chloroform? I don’t care how you kill the little beasts. Just do it, and do it NOW!”
(Cruella De Vil, 1996)
Could you imagine if your cat or dog was beaten and cut into a fur gilet? Or your pet snake was skinned alive in pursuit of a purse? I couldn’t. But it happens. Not to our pets, but to millions of animals every year.
The treatment of these animals is what really stirs up the ethical conscience in us all. The majority of fur is sourced from the likes of China and India, whilst the majority of wool is extracted from Australia – It’s not all surfing and Barbeques.
It is estimated that nearly 85% of the worlds fur is the product of animals which are cramped and confined in ‘fur farms’. Fur farms store and breed animals in unnatural and harsh settings. They are banned in the UK and in the Netherlands and since 2006, fur farms have been on the decline in the United States.
Fur farms use procedures such as electrocution, gassing and poisoning. Some farms even go as far as skinning their animals ‘live’, without using any form of medication. To think, these innocent animals are having their throats cut and skins ripped from their backs ALIVE!? After all, these are just animals.
Defenceless.
Vulnerable.
Check out this link on the truth about fur farms: http://features.peta.org/ChineseFurFarms/
Surely the thought of animal cruelty is enough to put people off using them in fashion? Or maybe thats not what consumers care about – could it be the fact consumers want to be wearing the latest design hot off the catwalk, to impress their fellow fashionistas? Could it be society in 2012 that feels it’s okay to slaughter and victimise the animals in the name of fashion? Lets just hope that the Cruella’s of the world find their ethical compass soon. Should animal fur have a place in fashion?
Lets start the debate!
Josh
Everything Ethics 
Fantastic blog post!
I for one think the way these animals are treated is beyond disgusting and wrong and should not be exploited for the sake of fashion. But on the other hand animal products are used in so many things, items that you may not even realise that when you are purchasing them.
I for one can admit that when I am buying something the last thing that comes into my mind is where it has come from, if I like something then well I want it and I’ll buy it without giving a second thought to its origin. The same goes for how animals are treated and killed for when they are going to become food for us, I think it’s disgusting how they are treated too. I’ve seen many TV programs about where food comes from and how they are treated etc and I say that I will never eat that again but then by the next day it has slipped my mind and I’m eating meat.
In this day and age there are so many substitutes for the real thing in both fashion and food that are just as good as the real thing and I hope for the sake of these poor defenseless animals the substitutes will take over and that these fur farms will become obsolete.
I agree with many of the things you have posted and this is a very interesting topic and I have to admit I loved the Cruella De Vil references as 101 dalmatians was always a favourite film of mine as a child.
Animal Fur should not have a place in the fashion world!! The only place it should be is in the animal started on!! I agree with the statements in this debate, more and more people are buying fur coats, fur bags, snakeskin purses! What’s wrong with just buying material that doesn’t come from a living creature!! So you see it on the catwalk in Milan and Paris and you also see it on your neighbours cat and your sisters Dalmatian surely the latter is the place it belongs!!
Brilliant blog!!
This blog really puts this issue in perspective; I for one disagree strongly with the exploitation of animals. And as the blog continued, I found myself becoming even more passionate about such injustice. The references to 101 Dalmatians really hit the nail on the head, emphasising how it is deemed acceptable for animals to be slaughtered all over the world as long as they are not someone’s pets. Inspiring blog, that I feel really highlights the importance of animal well fair.
Thank you for your comment Amelia. Do you think that the use of faux fur could sway people’s thoughts about the use of real fur? How do you feel about the influence that is commanded by fashion designers – for example Stella McCartney does not condone the use of fur in fashion – If more influential figures made more of a sensation about this, do you think that people would think twice? Josh
I agree with the above point – using 101 Dalmatians really bought home to me how wrong the pursuit of fur for fashion is! This is a film that I watched countless times as a child and never once did I consider the underlying theme. I may be veering off the point here somewhat but your argument made me also think of the cruelty caused to animals that we consume for food. This topic receives a very different reaction from the general public. I regularly consume meat with little thought of how it ended up on my plate, yet I feel horrified by the thought of wearing fur. I have watched many documents on animals being reared in an inhumane way however I am not a vegetarian.
Your blog has caused me to question my wearing of faux fur. To me this seems acceptable as animals have not been harmed, however I feel guilt if I am perceived to be promoting the “look” of fur for fashion. A very interesting blog!
Thank you for your comment Kelly. I take your point about the perception of wearing fur. Whether it is the real deal or not, as you rightly state, the promotion of the ‘look’ of fur could be the issue. Animal fur in the past was a means for warmth and survival, it then turned into a symbol of wealth, luxury and class – today I’m not even sure what it stands for anymore! But should we ban the use fo fur altogether – we could do but then someone is always going to want what they can’t have and if we let the faux fur fade out, there’s going to be animals out there who will be subsequently targeted. Although we consume animal produce, I agree, we don’t think about the wider implications or even turn to vegetarianism or become vegans! The use of animals in both food and fashion dates back to since time began and I think we have become accustomed to its role in our lifes. Josh
This is a well written inspiring blog. Fur should never have a place in the fashion industry.