Luxury fashion brands set the bar for Fur Free future
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

ACTAsia
March 2018

It’s a sure sign we’re winning when Versace tells Vogue “Fur is over!

coyote
Coyote

There’s no doubt we’re living through a time of revolution for the role of fur in high-end fashion. Finally, established fashion houses with the reputation, money, and influence to trickle-down a whole lot more than style, are waking up to the truth.

“Fur has traditionally been a symbol of status and wealth but nowadays, thanks to public education, most high-end retailers and consumers know that it represents cruelty, exploitation, pollution, and irresponsible trading. Designers with any sense of worth do not want to be associated with that sort of self-indulgence anymore,” says ACTAsia’s founder Pei Su.

raccoon dog puppy
Asian Raccoon Dog Puppy

When Donatella Versace declared last week that she no longer wants to kill animals to make fashion, she was the latest in a line of exclusive brands which are becoming uncomfortable with the processes of fur. Gucci, Armani, Hugo Boss, Michael Kors, Furla, and Versace all seem to agree that the end can no longer justify the means.

Unfortunately, China does not have the same self-consciousness about its image when it comes to fur. As a nation, it’s responsible for about 80% of fur consumption worldwide, and the industry is worth $17 billion a year to China alone. ACTAsia is particularly concerned with cheaper fur that floods the market from China, where there are no legislating standards in production.

It’s encouraging that a recent media report stated ‘Millennial consumers worldwide and in China have started to embrace faux fur, partly out of concerns over animal cruelty,’ but there is still much work to be done.

At this pivotal time, ACTAsia will be hosting a Sustainable Fashion Forum and Fur Free Fashion Show in Shanghai, in May this year. The forum will include presentations and panel discussions on sourcing, using and marketing materials for sustainable fashion. Members of the Fur Free Retailers scheme will share their experiences, and showcase compassionate fashion on the catwalk for all guests of the gala to see.

At a cultural crossroads, ACTAsia is committed to continuing our education campaign on China’s fur industry.

“There’s still a long way to go in educating the Chinese public, especially millennials, about why it’s desirable to make more compassionate fashion choices,” says Pei Su. “The public do not have the same understanding that we do in the West, such as the impact on animal welfare, implications of exposure to toxic chemicals by the workforce and consumers, and devastating pollution of the environment, and that is why it is our job to educate them.”

We need your support to educate more consumers and retailers on the truth about fur. With your help, we can reach millions of Chinese shoppers and ask them to join-up to a Fur Free life, as well as dozens of Chinese designers and retailers, to ask them to stop using fur in their products.

Please DONATE to ACTAsia!


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