Melbourne Fashion Festival Gives Fur the Cold Shoulder!
With numerous Australian designers and department stores turning their backs on fur, the fashion industry has shown that it listens to consumers and will no longer support the cruel fur trade. Now, one of the biggest fashion events in Australia, the L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival (LMFF) has issued a no-fur policy for its entire event!
The policy, which will be sent to all designers showing their collections at this top fashion event, states that the LMFF “is committed to not allowing the presentation of fur at MFF produced shows and events. Only items containing fake or faux fur will be permitted”. All fur trim or any other item containing the actual fur of an animal will be prohibited under the new policy.
The news comes as a grizzly new video about the fur trade released by PETA Asia has gone viral. Viewed by more than 1 million people globally, the ad shows human body parts worn on the catwalk by non-human animal “models”.
Every fur coat, lining or piece of trim represents the suffering of dozens of animals, whether they have been caught in the wild and slaughtered or confined to farms. Furriers also often intentionally mislabel items, and fur in Australia can come from animals (including cats and dogs) who have been beaten, boiled, hung, electrocuted and skinned alive on Chinese fur farms.
PETA Australia has been working with the LMFF to develop its fur-free policy and is thrilled that the ban will come into place in time for the 2013 event in March. This is a monumental step that the LMFF is taking, and it should be congratulated. As one of the biggest fashion events in Australia, it is setting a standard for all designers and festivals to follow. Thanks, LMFF!
Posted by Claire Fryer
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