Table of Contents
Abstract
This research paper will analyze the unethical treatment of animals and describe the torture and abuse they endure. I will explain all of my knowledge that I have learned throughout this process to help the audience understand that this treatment must come to an end. I will provide insight and in depth information surrounding the debate over the unethical mistreatment of animals and how they are taken advantage of, without any say. I will use many examples of animals and how they mistreated, as well as information from authors that have done research on this topic. I will also propose many ideas on how to put a stop to the cruel treatment of animals and give my input on what can be done to make a change. I will then summarize all of my points and conclude.
The Unethical Treatment Of Animals In The Fashion Industry
Animal abuse and cruelty have been come a hot subject in the fashion industry for decades. The torture of animals has been described as directly taking the fur or skin off the creature. This allows designers to create clothing while simply disrupting the animal’s food chain. Animals then become mutilated, their fur has been shaved off and then they are no longer needed. Many animals are bred in hiding and only have the potential to live a couple of years. They are used to grow their fur and are then killed. One of the biggest controversial issues in the fashion industry currently is animal rights and the ethical treatment of animals used in clothing. No matter where you get your animal products from, each and every piece you own, an animal suffered and you took away a life. As fashion continues to progress, fur and leather will remain in the unknown until this issue is solved. So my question begins…. how does one determine the level of animal rights?
The History Of Wearing Fur
During the 1100’s, wearing any type of fur served a big purpose. You were considered extremely wealthy and gain social status the clothes that you were seen wearing. Many Europeans who were in the royal family wore fur accessories, capes and coats. Centuries later, fur had become such a craze that laws were introduced to help regulate which social class were allowed to wear the different types available. As the cruelty of animals began to catch attention, people have become more passionate and understanding and realized that animals don’t have a voice of their own. They need someone to stand up for them and help realize what detrimental effects this could have on the environment. Advocates from animal rights, environmentalists and vegans became the voice of reason and organized marches to help put an end to the abuse in the fashion industry.
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The Making of Fur and Leather
Before fur and leather became a fashionable item, ancient civilizations who lived in colder climates relied on these products for survival. They used fur to endure harsh cold weather conditions and used certain products for tools as means to survive. The mass production of leather goods became popular around the world. While learning about the process of creating leather, I was absolutely stunned. Leather is extracted from various parts of an animal’s body and their flesh is scraped off from their bodies. The fashion industry has used furs and animal skin in clothing for centuries now. Fur production became harmful to the environment and created a harmful atmosphere for the animals. “85% of the fur used in the fur production process comes from the skin of animals living captive on fur factory farms” (Atkins, 2010). These factory farms are used to maximize the highest profit and take no care of the environment or take into consideration the well-being of any animal.
The demand for these fashionable products has increased to all time high. Production has picked up due to the increase in popularity and created the worst conditions for these animals. This has created a huge uproar for activists, resulting in humans having to stick up for the rights of animals. The mass production of wool, leather and other animal skin has billions of animals slaughtered every year to make the fashion industry thrive. I have analyzed many different articles throughout my research and have found that as much as the animals suffer through the process of being skinned alive, the living conditions for them are even worse. Ipsita Herlekar, the author of Threatened By Fashion states, “Cashmere actually comes from the wool of goats and is even thinner than actual human hair” (Herlekar, 2013). This outrage of banning the sale of wool has caused an increase in demand of cashmere. As crazy as it is, just killing the animal will put them out of their misery and some just have to suffer on fur farms for years until they are ripe enough to be used.
The Fight to Choose Faux Fur
Leather is known to be one of the most fashionable products used in the clothing industry. Many of our own boots, gloves, coats and leather jackets are made from the skin of animals without even being known. No matter where these animals end up getting killed, the amount of suffering an animal goes through to end up with a fur-trimmed jacket, a wool sweat or a python belt is just inhumane.
In the 1930’s faux fur was officially introduced to us and helped build a conscience for the fashion industry. This helped many designers indulge in the look of leather while helping sacrifice the lives of animals that no longer needed to be killed. Faux fur is made from polymeric fibers that begin the process of being cut and dyed to help create a specific texture and color to make it look like real fur. Working in the fashion industry, I have been taught how to spot real fur from faux fur. If I was a customer and not aware of this information, it would be difficult for them to spot the difference. The way faux fur is made today, it’s very easy to imitate and has become indistinguishable.
As I explored the options of going faux fur, I came across many reasons that everyone should consider the next time they want to purchase a real leather jacket. Having horrible allergies, myself, wearing faux fur, I don’t have to worry about sneezing or having my eyes water. Faux fur is completely allergy free and is also a lot less itchy than real fur. Consider that a huge plus when debating on whether or not to purchase the real thing or not. A huge reason why faux fur is a better option than the real thing, it won’t blow a hole in your wallet. Faux fur is way cheaper than real fur and won’t make you break the bank to make a fashionable statement.
Having a real fur coat, it sometimes leaves a stench or picks up odor more easily around you. Consider faux fur to be your best option because its odor-free. All of the top designers want to be trendy and being vegan is in. Many fashion brands are showcasing faux fur on the runways and use vegan wool to help create their looks. They stay on brand and the community really appreciates it. As I said earlier, determining faux fur over real fur has become harder than before. Many advances in technology have helped improve the quality of fax fur and have helped spotting the difference between the two. When considering all of this, there really is no reason to harm animals for fashion.
The Process
As my research began, I found out that approximately, “36 animals are used just to make a single coat from their fur” (Cervellon, 2012). The writer of the Journal of Fashion makes it known that consumers need to shop in the most ethically way possible. “The fur industry has said that they kill over 30 million animals per year” (Rantisi, 2014). Reading that information and taking in that number, hurts my heart. As a worker in the fashion industry, I would simply never work for a company that used real fur or animal products for that matter. Many animals such as cows, sheep, foxes and rabbits just to name a few are bred and slaughtered just to make shoes and clothes from their skin.
Considering that these are animals and can be trapped in cages and killed, they don’t really have a say in what happens to them. The thought of killing an innocent animal has no justification to it. Depriving an animal of his or her life is cruel, especially when there have been so many alternatives to using faux fur materials. Through my research, I have watched several videos and looked at images of cows and foxes just suffering in cages and being skinned alive.
As much as I didn’t want to watch those videos, I wanted to watch the process to really understand what torture these animals go through. Leather is one of the biggest materials used in our fashion wardrobes and sometimes we tend to overlook our clothing when putting it on, because it is so fashionable. Around the 1980’s, “the U.S fur controversy sparked a huge public discussion” (Olson, 1994). Year after year, a significant number of animals such as snakes, horses, cattle pigs and many more, are skinned alive and used in the leather industry. Many companies are starting to follow the trend of “shifting towards more environmentally friendly materials and reducing the amount of toxins in the manufacturing process” (Sustainability, 2017).
Many of these animals are put into a factory and they tend to become extremely confined and crowded. They are deprived of food, water and have to endure painful treatment from the workers. Some animals are even hung upside down and are forced to bleed to death and have their skin carved out of their body. Most of the leather that is used in the fashion industry, originates from either China or India. “China has a strong appetite for luxury goods that have been imported and inclusive for the fashion industry” (Taylor, 2005). Both of those countries, actually have no animal welfare legislation rights. Some ethical alternatives to leather is buying a recycled type of leather or even purchasing from a second hand shop. You can shop for faux leather by going to different vintage markets and can also minimize your carbon footprint.
The Painful Industry
Wool is considered very popular in the winter season and becomes a staple to many for their wardrobe. As much as wool will keep your warm during the cold winter months, it’s also not produced under the most ethical conditions. Many concerns in the wool industry come from the mistreatment of sheep and their living conditions. Many sheep undergo painful procedures of their wool being stripped from their bodies and are done without even being given an anesthetic. As I was considering the studies I have come across, some ethical alternatives for wool are buying brands that use mulesed wool. Even buying organic wool materials would be a huge difference, plus they are both environmentally and cruelty free.
As appealing as leather jackets, accessories and belts can be… nobody really considers on how the product is actually made. Do you know that cows have their tails broken and are skinned alive in the process? Consider a less cruel alternative to your wardrobe and think about who you are hurting in the process when putting an outfit together. When other options are available to you, consider a life when you are thinking about it. Exploiting the use of animals comes at a huge cost and doesn’t help the mistreatment of animals. Advancement in eco-friendly leathers and vegan products have helped the urge to buy the real products.
As animals live mental distress and physical pain, they are not even given any type of anesthetics to lessen the pain. This is done to cut costs and many animals have to endure the pain of being skinned while they are alive. Wearing clothing, knowing that an animal was hurt in the process is not okay with me. While analyzing fur farms, I have found out that many animals fur that is closest to the skin, is the one being used. This is considered where the best and softest fibers are located.
Recently a documentary was released and it talked about the truth of the fur industry and the corruption that has taken place. The film takes the audience through the trading between countries of animals and how the journey of how products are made by using animals. Some parts I had to skip over and others I couldn’t even look at the screen. The torture and cruelty these innocent animals are truly unfair and anyone with a heart would agree. The film also shows footage of interviews with industry workers who give their opinion of the unnecessary treatment these animals endure. This film, Skin Trade allows the viewer to understand the animals who don’t have a voice and show them that someone needs to stick up for them.
After this film, that I would like every single person to watch, helps you put yourself in the animal’s shoes to understand the cruel and unusual punishment these animals suffer through. The images of workers with bloody hands and videos of fur farms in horrific conditions, really help you put things into perspective. Seeing this film really changed my outlook on the abuse of animals in the industry and helped me understand first-hand what these animals go through. Even purchasing the minimalist bit of fur trim, helps support the cruelty of the fashion industry.
PETA
Getting into the more exotic and fur animal skins used in the fashion community, crocodiles, alpacas, minks and even llamas have spread like wildfire. Their skin and fur have been known to make clothes and accessories more luxurious looking. While being introduced to PETA in the 80’s, an organization that fights for the ethical treatment of animals, has seen a lot of success with their celebrity endorsed campaigns. The definition of fur farming is said to be the “practice of raising or breeding certain types of animals for their fur” (Atkins, 2010). Since their organization has become huge and their fight for animals has been successful in many instances, fur is still being seen on the runways during fashion week. When there is a certain demand for a certain trend or clothing item, animal cruelty comes into play.
When you are shopping for a new item, for your wardrobe, remind yourself to buy cruelty free products. Any measure you can take to try and save the animals, should be everyone’s number one priority. PETA has increased their presence in many years and have been known to create controversial campaigns to gain the attention of everyone. PETA’s main objective is to make sure everyone is aware of the facts of animal cruelty and suggest that people use any type of alternative they can. PETA’s campaigns consist of brutal images and hard facts that are stated loud and clear.
Unfortunately, a huge concern of PETA is the fact that China has no penalties when it comes to animal abuse on farms. A lot of other countries also have no standards when it comes to regulating the treatment of animals. In 1991, PETA made a huge debt with their, “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” slogan. Many celebrities and influencers have made an appearance on their billboards and have worked against the use of fur farming. Just take a second a think about it…. Is taking the lives of countless animals really worth the lifetime of suffering to obtain leather couches, fur throws and python belts?
The Beginning of a Change
Many companies have been announcing that they will no longer use fur products. Luxury designer, Gucci, announced that for their SS18 collection they will no longer use fur. When other major fashion brands see this happening, this can be a huge step in making a change for the future of the animals. Many fashion companies are known for exploiting animal’s trends to create a name for themselves. Considering how well known Gucci is, they have only been one of the few major fashion brands to agree with the mistreatment of animals.
Gucci has also partnered with an organization called Alliance, which helps promise the stop the killing and exploiting of animals. Marco Bizzarri, who is the CEO and president of the company states, “Fur is outdated and no longer considered modern” (Costantino, 2016). This has begun the ban of fur in all of their collections and he makes sure that they can create their products without the use of fur. In 2006 and 2007, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren decided to also join the trend and announce that they were against the use of fur in their fashion products. Sometimes creating a trend to put a stop to things, will make people will follow and others will start to benefit from them. I believe in creating a voice for the voiceless and standing up for what you think is right. “The world needs to see a time where killing animals is cruel and completely sustainable” (Today’s History, 2011).
Instead of these animal products creating a trend, there should be a trend to stop the mistreatment of animals in the fashion industry. As I dive further into my research, I believe that many people in the fashion industry are unaware of the problem in purchasing problems and to what extent that these innocent animals are being tortured. When the demand of fur and leather luxury items started to become popular, fur farms started to be built and the producers of the items didn’t have enough stock to stay in business. Decades later, fur began to be looked at in a negative light.
Considering all the celebrities in today’s culture that have started anti-fur campaigns, back in the 1970’s Bridgette Bardot became the first celebrity influencer to participate in a fight to end animal mistreatment. Her campaign was started to end the mistreatment of seals and the use of their skin. As much of a fight there was to end the unethical treatment of animals around her time, it wasn’t until a decade later that anti-fur campaigns went into full effect. Another famous face that has been in the fashion industry for decades is Donatella Versace. She has been seen everywhere talking about the fur free movement and how her brand was fur-free. She believes that, “the desire to murder innocent animals in order to make fashion is unethical.”
Let’s find a solution
Many other retailers such as H&M, Zara and Stella McCartney have made it known how much they are anti-fur. They have made a huge commitment to sticking by their cruelty free-fashion and have been applauded by so many for it. More and more designers should follow in their footsteps to create a fur-free policy for their company. I would love for the mistreatment of animals be put to an end. If the desire of having a fur coat and leather belt is really for you, consider buying faux fur items in place of them. Knowing that no animals were killed in the process should make you want to bring change to the fashion world. “More people need to be sensitive to these issues and Stella McCartney has been known as a huge advocate to the anti-fur community” (Rowe, 2010).
Fashion is considered to be on the most influential and creative industries in the world. Clothing has become a way of self-expression and a place for every individual to have a voice. It has only been in recent years that animal ethics and issues have been a concerning topic. As more and more designers decide to take the plunge and refuse the use of fur in their collections, more and more people will step up and follow. Hugo Boss and Giorgio Armani have partnered with the FFR, which is the fur free retailer and was started in 2002. This organization is recognized in 20 different countries worldwide. This organization has partnered with these huge designers to help create a platform to help consumers understand the fur-free community.
Conclusion
The conclusion of my research analysis is that the current demand for animal apparels is approximately $31 million dollars. Fur and leather were adorned by ancient civilizations and have gained recognition in the luxury fashion market. Despite the rise of sales in the leather and fur industry, there are many efforts being made to steer fashion in the right direction of non-animal cruelty. Many of society has taken legal action against many retailers who have mislabeled fur items. We can continue to educate and better ourselves and come to the conclusion that animal exploitation is unacceptable and it’s time to make a change.
We can continue to educate and better ourselves and come to the conclusion that animal exploitation is unacceptable and it’s time to make a change. The ultimate goal of mine would be to have a cruelty free world but how long that would take, I am unsure of. As more and more people join the fight to end animal cruelty, the evolution of a faux free industry will begin.
