Taking a Bite Out of Fur During NY's Fashion Week
This morning, during the height of New York’s Fashion Week, I led a press conference in Bryant Park to announce the results of a new HSUS investigation uncovering more deception in the fur fashion industry. Joined by New York State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan), Pierre Grzybowski of The HSUS’s fur-free campaign, and John Phillips of the New York League of Humane Voters, I told reporters and the public that some of the largest department stores in New York—including Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue—have been selling unlabeled fur-trimmed garments in violation of state law.
New York’s state legislature overwhelmingly passed a law in 2007, backed by HSUS and HSLF and authored by Rosenthal and Senator Frank Padavan (R-Queens), requiring retailers to label all fur garments so that shoppers can have access to important product information.
Yet, more than a year after the law took effect, entire racks of unlabeled fur-trimmed jackets are still being sold in New York. HSUS investigators and Assemblymember Rosenthal visited several stores in Manhattan to determine whether they were in compliance with the labeling law, and were even told by sales clerks that unlabeled coats trimmed with animal fur were “fake.”
Federal law requires most fur apparel to be accurately labeled, but has a gaping loophole for garments that contain $150 or less worth of fur. A series of HSUS investigations has found that fur-trimmed jackets are being falsely advertised as “fake” and mislabeled as the wrong species of animal—when they may contain fur from domestic dogs or raccoon dogs skinned alive in China.
While Congress considers legislation to close the federal loophole, several states like Delaware and New York have taken action to give their consumers extra protection, and other states like Maryland and New Jersey are considering similar bills.
Watch this new video to see the latest investigation into fraudulent fur selling. Then speak out and tell your state and federal legislators that animals and consumers need stronger laws on the books, as well as stronger enforcement of those laws. It’s time for retailers to stop pulling the fur over shoppers’ eyes.
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HSUS are being a bit naughty here and well they know it. The fuss they raise over fur trimmed garments sold in department stores has very little to do with the main stream Fur fashion business.
You will find very few bespoke furriers selling dog fur coats if at all. The vast majority of the fur wearing public will know very well what fur they want, what animal it comes from, and buy from a authentic furrier, not off the peg in a department store.
Mislabelling of fur on trim on an off the peg garment is easy to do with untrained staff, and not a deception perpetrated by the fur trade, it is a mistake due to local ignorance. It's the kind of mistake that you will find over and over again in all products on the shelf from foodstuff to clothes. It is indeed an offence, and should be stamped out by fines or other appropriate punishment. But it is certainly not a reason for closing down a whole industry. That is just plain dumb!
HSUS has a ridiculous obsession with the fur trade and seeks to smeer it at the slightest opportunity through lies and misdirection and misinformation. The fur industry is a well regulated, legitimate, and consciencious industry. It employs thousands of people world wide, and adds Millions of dollars to the economy . HSUS should really get off their ridiculous bandwagon and start being a bit more ethical in how they poresent their information, leaving people free to make their own decision rather than having misleading rhetoric rammed down their throats.
What proof have they that the dog or raccon dog fur comes from animals "skinned alive"? We've all seen the videos of those unfortunate animals skinned alive, but there is enough evidence and suspicion (never refuted by PETA or HSUS) that these videos are staged for the benefit of producing advertising vids to strengthen their case against their obsession. There is no evidence that this is the normal way of killing and skinning animals for the fur trade. In fact if this was the accepted way, there would be very little fur available, and what fur there was would be very poor grade. Not like the high quality fur that is produced in the West, and from which most furrier-made garmets are made
To say that the fur comes from animals that have been skinned alive, just because they have filmed one occasion, and that that is the usual method of fur production is a complete misdirection and bending of the truth.
What they should be getting even more upset over is the fact that if a fur timmed coat or jacket can be sold in the US for less than $150, then it is almost certain to have been made by explioited workers and probably child labour in poor parts of the world, with lower grade materials (the fur, the cotton, the synthetic yarn or whatever) that have been produced cheaply, ie cutting corners in production. This invariably results in eco-pollution and habitat destruction, and general misery. The buyers never thinks twice about this whilst strolling through a plush department store, casually trying to decide what fashion or colour suits them best.