In yet another sign that consumers seeking ethical and sustainable fashion choices are indeed influencing brands to become more thoughtful and transparent about their products, fashion powerhouse Michael Kors announced this week it’s removing fur from both the popular Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo labels. The decision came after a recent meeting with PETA spurred by dozens of protests led by the animal rights group.

The brands will fully phase out fur by December 2018, and has plans to achieve its signature look and feel with “luxe” alternatives that don’t involve the horrors of the fur industry.

“This decision marks a new chapter as our company continues to evolve its use of innovative materials,” Michael Kors chief officer John Idol said in a statement. “We now have the ability to create a luxe aesthetic using nonanimal fur.”

The company was recently targeted by PETA over its continued use of fur in a segment of its line, with demonstrators showing up to dozens of the designer’s show. In June, demonstrators thwarted a live interview with Michael Kors at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art with the chant “Michael Kors has blood on his hands.”

“With the advances in faux fur and the introduction of other innovative materials, it’s becoming clear that there is simply no reason to continue using a product that causes so much pain and suffering,” The Humane Society of the U.S. president and CEO Wayne Pacelle said in a statement after the Kors announcement.

Kors’ announcement comes just several months after Gucci made a similar commitment.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

Related on EcoSalon

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Donate, Toss, or Repurpose Leather and Fur: The Herbivore’s Dilemma
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The post Michael Kors Ditches Fur for ‘Nonanimal’ Alternatives appeared first on EcoSalon.

Not only is wearing fur the cruelest fashion choice on the planet, it’s not a very environmentally friendly one either. Can an ethical and environmentally responsible fur industry exist?

Pamela Paquin, founder of Petite Mort (that’s French for “the little death”) thinks so. Before you click out of this article or jump to leave a harsh comment, check out the fine print: Paquin is sourcing her fur exclusively from roadkill.

“It’s so much a part of everyday life to see these animals,” Paquin told Modern Farmer. “Who of us doesn’t look away? You don’t want to see it because when you fully soak in the meaning of what happened, it’s emotionally draining.”

About one million animals are killed on our nation’s roads every single day in the U.S. Pretty staggering, right? “The scale of it is so overwhelming — you can’t possibly wrap your head around the suffering that went into those numbers,” Paquin said.

And while that number is tragic in its own right, so is this one: the 50 million animals killed each year by the fur industry. The Canadian seal slaughter is one of the most talked about and brutal effects of the fur industry. Many other animals live in cramped and crowded fur farms and are painfully electrocuted to death so as to preserve the animals’ pelts. Paquin’s approach is quite different. She locates the roadkill, skins the dead animal herself, and returns the body to nature, calling on her Native American heritage for a prayer of gratitude for the animal’s life.

While Paquin calls this “shameless fur”, there’s still a considerable amount of guilt to be had over the impact cars have on the natural world and the animal victims. And even though Paquin is not producing millions of furs a year, tanning fur, like leather (another animal product) is a toxic process that releases chemicals that can pollute air and water. And let’s not overlook the stigma of wearing fur. It’s such a source of controversy, for good reason, and strangers won’t know at a glance that your raccoon trim was scraped off the side of the road.

People are eating “fresh” roadkill meat nowadays too, but just like the roadkill fur, we have to ask ourselves where we draw the line with our ethics. Is it just about avoiding the practice of raising animals solely for these purposes or is it about honoring the life of a fellow earthling? Paquin is still selling fur as high-priced status items, afforded only by those who wear fur as a luxury item. In some regards, this makes scraping a murdered fox off the road even more heartbreaking. What about just laying that animal–fur and all–to rest? And instead of looking for ways to exploit his carcass, we look at ways to avoid the senseless death of millions of animals every year, whether by force or accident.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Related on EcoSalon

Fur Real: Morrissey Calls Canadian Baby Seal Hunt ‘Fashionably Dead’

Vegan Fashion 101: Fur Is So Not Vegan (Take Note, Beyoncé)

Animal Cruelty Goes Out of Style: West Hollywood Bans the Sale of Fur

Image: Brian Moriarty

The post Can an Ethical Fur Industry Ever Exist, Even with this Fur Source? appeared first on EcoSalon.

British rocker and outspoken animal activist Morrissey criticized Canadian Fisheries Minister Gail Shea for not calling a halt to the Canadian seal hunt.

In a post titled “This Sorrowful Canada,” which he published on the fan site True-To-You, Morrissey condemned the practice of the seal hunt, and was very critical of Shea for failing to put a stop to the nation’s annual seal slaughter.

“The annual East Coast seal hunt/kill started Monday – against a strong wave of trade and court challenges. Europe continues its ban on seal products,” wrote Morrissey. “The seal hunt in Canada is struggling to make a start this year due to almost no markets, and China especially is refusing to sell Canadian seal meat. Thank you, China!”

The singer said that “Gail Shea, the federal Fisheries Minister for Canada, says that baby seals are ‘killed humanely’, and explains how the baby seals are shot by high-powered rifles.” Morrissey questions whether the fisheries minister would still think that being shot is ‘humane’ if someone fired a rifle at her. “Is this a death that Gail Shea would wish for herself? Would it make her happy to be shot by a high-powered rifle?”

“If she considers such butchery to be so ‘humane’, why doesn’t she place herself amongst the tens of thousands of grey-coated harp seals that will be slaughtered within the next few weeks? She could then test the humane aspect of having her head blown off for herself. Only then could she be thought to speak with any authority on the subject,” he protests.

Although Morrissey opposes the seal hunt, and thinks that the Canadian government has absolutely no respect or compassion for animals, he does like most of the people that live in the country and does not consider them all bad. He does, however, think that Canada is giving itself a very bad image by continuing the hunt, and that people are not forming a strong enough opposition against the yearly slaughter of seals.

“Canada is a beautiful country, and the people of Canada are good people. But good people are often ineffectual. Internationally, Canada’s sorry image is due entirely to its seal slaughter – which is greedy and barbaric, and it is dismaying to witness such ignorance in 2014,” he wrote.

In 2006, Morrissey wrote another post on the same site explaining that he refused to tour and perform in Canada in protest of  the barbaric slaughter of over 325,000 baby seals. He also criticized Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s reasoning that the slaughter is necessary because it provides jobs for local communities. “Construction of German gas chambers also provided work for someone — this is not a moral or sound reason for allowing suffering,” wrote Morrisey. Canada “placed itself alongside China as the cruelest and most self-serving nation,” he added.

“Sound reason tells us that only those of the thinnest intellect wear animal fur, and because the Canadian government are concerned with animals only economically, killing baby seals with lightning brutality is now Canada’s primary global image. Until this annual massacre is abolished, Canada itself is regrettably fashionably dead,” Morrissey concluded in his recent post. – Joan Reddy

This post originally appeared on Ecorazzi

Ecorazzi covers news and gossip on celebrities and notables in support of the environment and humanitarian causes. You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Related on EcoSalon

It’s a Start: Zoological Park of Paris Eliminates Elephant and Bear Exhibits

Paul McCartney Beatle Star Power Not Enough to Save Captive Elephant ‘Writhing in Pain’

Vegan Fashion 101: Fur Is So Not Vegan (Take Note, Beyoncé)

Image: stab at sleep

The post Fur Real: Morrissey Calls Canadian Baby Seal Hunt ‘Fashionably Dead’ appeared first on EcoSalon.

Just when you thought fur coats were finally going out of fashion forever…

All it took was a brief coin toss on screen to undo years of animal rights organizations’ work to educate people about the fur industry.

According to The Detroit News, fur coat stores are booming with customers who want a replica of former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath’s fur coat worn at Superbowl XLVIII.

“It has driven people to our showroom,” said Clay Campbell, who owns Wolverine Furs in Detroit and also reported a 20 percent increase in traffic to his website. “(Customers) are taking the time to find out more about what they saw on the screen, so it has been a positive for us.”

Other stores in the area have also reported a similar increase in sales and customer visits since the Seahawks and Broncos game aired on February 2nd nationwide despite backlash from activists as soon as Namath’s $3,000 coyote and white fox-trimmed coat appeared on screen.

“No matter what he spent on that eyesore, the animals who were trapped, bludgeoned, electrocuted, or skinned alive for their fur paid a lot more — the ultimate price, in fact — and viewers across the country agree that it was too high a price, as demonstrated by the outpouring of anti-fur messages that hit Twitter the second that Namath’s coat hit the screen,” said PETA, one of the most recognized anti-fur and animal rights groups in the world in a statement.

Actor and activist Ian Somerhalder responded to Namath’s wardrobe by tweeting his followers a link to remind people that due to its cruelty, furs are being dropped from stores’ inventory. QVC and Land’s End are some of the major retailers who have stopped selling any items with fur in them after watching PETA’s video on how the fur industry operates. Hopefully more people in the Detroit will take the time to watch it too. – Natalia Galbetti

This article appears courtesy of Ecorazzi

Ecorazzi covers news and gossip on celebrities and notables in support of the environment and humanitarian causes. You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Related on EcoSalon:

Daryl Hannah’s Top 5 Ways To Stop Global Warming

‘Gravity’ Director Alfonso Cuarón Is Yet Another Hollywood Vegetarian

Blue Whales & Earwax: What Can They Teach Us About Ocean Pollution?

image: The NY Post

The post Thanks, Joe: Fur Sales Rise After Football Legend Wears Fur to the Super Bowl appeared first on EcoSalon.

The post Fiber Watch: Is Faux Fur Really More Eco-Friendly Than the Real Deal? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Finally, veganism is being talked about in the mainstream. But it’s more than just a diet. When is vegan fashion going to get the attention it deserves?

There’s a list. Mike Tyson. Ex-presidents and ex-vice presidents. Talk show hosts. A-list movie stars and musicians. And the latest to take the vegan diet plunge? Beyoncé and Jay Z. Well, almost. The couple is on a three-week vegan diet bender. It’s good for business. They get even more publicity (because they need it, right?) and likely drop a few pounds. Vegans get the glory of adding more super-celeb names to the roster, even if it only lasts a few weeks. Vegan restaurants can boast visits from the couple. Sort of. Because with only three weeks to kale it up, Beyoncé failed in week one: She walked into a vegan restaurant wearing fur.

Mrs. Shawn Carter, now there are 99 problems—and well. Huh. Maybe it’s not your fault. It is that missing link about “veganism” that we don’t talk about nearly enough these days. The one Bill Clinton probably overlooks, too. The one Mike Tyson might miss if he’s not looking carefully. It’s the animals that are now your shoes, your belt, your sweater, those hideous UGG boots. And, yes, Beyoncé, in that unspeakable dead animal wrapped around your collar like you’re Nanook.

Perhaps the reason we don’t talk all that much (yet) about the importance of vegan fashion is that we’re so thrilled that the vegan diet is getting so much recognition. Without a doubt, it’s the biggest battle—more animals are killed for food than in any other industry.  And chances are—or it used to be, anyway—once you realize the horrors animals raised for food endure, the blurry reality of the other ways animals are (ab)used begin to come into focus too. But with so much attention being placed on the physical benefits of dropping meat, eggs and dairy from our diet, we’re no longer talking as much about the benefits to the animals. Suffering has taken a backseat to slimmer waistlines, reduced LDL levels and a decrease in methane gas production. We promote the benefits of plants more comfortably than we talk about the tragic fact that pigs are smarter than dogs, but we lock them in cages so small they can’t even turn around. And then we kill and eat them.

Choosing to not eat animals is actually pretty easy. Fruits and vegetables are abundant. Most major cities now boast at least one vegan restaurant and countless vegan items on restaurant menus. But try to buy a well-made pair of boots or a handbag that aren’t leather. Or a sweater that isn’t wool. There certainly are options out there, and the vegan fashion industry is taking off (NYC’s Fashion Week saw the first vegan fashion show last year), but as an industry, it still has big steps towards seeing the success vegan food has.

But fur? Really? Do we really still need to discuss how totally awful fur is? How are you going to explain it to your daughter? Even meat-eaters are known to find it offensive. I get it, Beyoncé. You’re BEYONCÉ. And it’s winter (almost, technically). But this isn’t the 1940s. And you were in Los Angeles, not Iceland. Are you really a woman who needs to feel beautiful wrapped in the dead body of another animal? You’re the best-selling, most beautiful woman in music today. You rocked the Super Bowl halftime show. You’re married to a mogul. Can’t you give the animals a break?

Most of the fur sold in the U.S. comes from China where there are no penalties for animal abuse. More than a billion rabbits, two million cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs are tortured for their fur in China every year. Fur farms are some of the most crammed and filthy conditions that animals such as fox, mink and chinchilla endure before they’re painfully electrocuted to death so as to not bloody up their precious pelts. Then there’s the seal slaughter in Canada where babies are brutally bludgeoned for their coats.

Fur may look clean and pristine. It’s easy to see only the softness and beauty we love in the animals who wear it naturally. But like wool, suede and leather, fur is the product of industries that fail to see the suffering of animals as anything more than just the cost of doing business.

Fashion is, more often than not, excessive and indulgent. Like food can be. But over the last few decades, we’ve begun to shift our diets. Savoring the flavor of simple ingredients. We’ve turned our focus locally to the freshest foods. It’s easier to eat a vegan diet when your plate is full of seasonal plant-based ingredients. Applying that same approach to fashion isn’t just easy. It’s just as necessary.

 Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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The post Vegan Fashion 101: Fur Is So Not Vegan (Take Note, Beyoncé) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Each year the fur industry kills more than 50 million animals in the name of fashion. Now, for the first time in America, a city has made it illegal to profit from this animal cruelty.

As of last week, West Hollywood became the first city to take a stand against animal cruelty in the fashion industry by banning the sale of wearable animal furs in retail stores.

City council members passed the law unanimously two years ago, following a heated debate on the issue of animal cruelty, but the law didn’t go into effect until last week. The ban applies to wearable fashion only, so furniture, blankets, or leather products are exempt. Any retailer found violating the ban three times in a year faces a misdemeanor charge.

West Hollywood has long declared itself a “cruelty-free zone for animals,” first banning the sale of cats and dogs, then banning cat declawing and live animal performances.

“We’ve consistently worked to enact cutting-edge animal welfare legislation,” city spokeswoman Tamara White told ABC. “This is in line with our values.”

High Fashion Responds

High-end retailers are outraged, declaring it a slap in the face. Retailers with multiple stores are moving their fur apparel to other locations and independent boutiques are hoping that retailers will buy back their pricey fur pieces.

“The furs are sometimes the most expensive pieces in the collection, so it affects sales dramatically, especially if you sell it at a larger percentage,” Darel Adams, owner of  Kin store on Sunset Boulevard told the LA Times. “To cut off someone’s big-ticket item makes it hard for a business to survive.”

Despite the fact that most Americans are outraged by animal cruelty, the fur trade is a huge industry in the U.S. According to Last Chance for Animals, “In 2009, there were approximately 300 fur farms in the United States. Wisconsin has the most farms (71), followed by Utah (65), Oregon, Minnesota, and Idaho.” Minks are in particular demand, in the U.S., 3 million were killed for their pelts in 2011 alone. But with so many compassionate alternatives to fur available, it’s hard to justify the need for such outward animal cruelty in the name of high fashion.

Related on EcoSalon:
Guilt-Free Fur
The Eco-Ethics of Fur
Faux No: When Fake Fur Isn’t

Image: Matt Kowal

The post Animal Cruelty Goes Out of Style: West Hollywood Bans the Sale of Fur appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you are well acquainted with EcoSalon, you know we don’t shy away from controversial issues. In fact, we welcome them. Rarely is there one right answer, and remaining open-minded in the face of difficult discussions is what EcoSalon strives to achieve.

And 2010 was no exception. It was indeed a stellar year for serious and many-sided environmental discussions. We hope you enjoyed the controversy, I mean year, as much as we did!

Here’s our greatest hits list for 2010:

GINK (Green Inclinations, No Kids) – Want to help the environment? Stop procreating. Turns out, going childless is the greenest choice of all. GINK describes women who decide not to have kids for any number of reasons, but mainly they consider the childless choice a huge gain for the environment. And furthermore, did you know that women can find peace, contentment and even happiness sans baby? Amazing!

Gulf Series – The BP Oil spill last April was tragic and terrifying to witness from afar, but when one of our writers traveled to the Gulf of Mexico and reported back, we got much more than we bargained for, including the devastating details of the aftermath and cleanup.

Gyre Series – Plastic pollution is collecting in the earth’s waters. It’s a catastrophic problem and one that we followed first hand (well, almost) while sailing the South Atlantic Gyre. Actually, Stiv Wilson, one of our editors, went on the adventure and yes, he lived to tell us all about it. In fact, the saga continues.

Politics versus Science – It was a big year for politics and science, with solar panels reappearing on the White House, emails leaking with twisted facts and figures, and a newly elected Republican Congress and the resurgence of climate change denial. One battle after another. We faced the Global Warming deniers and naysayers but in the end it seems, Americans still trust science. Phew!

Fur? Leather? Vegan? Oh yes! – Debate and controversy ran rampant in the fashion arena this year, and no one came out wrong. The fur versus leather discussion continued, while vegans consistently said no to anything animal. But if anything artificial and man-made only adds to the mess we’re in, why not wear fur? So many questions, all sorts of answers. In the end it comes down to personal preference and hopefully, an earnest attempt to pay attention to the planet.

Gender & Sexism – 2010 was also a big year for the ladies, or wait – is it gals or women or dames? It was a big year, as in, we’re still not making as much, still being asked why we’re not married and having babies, and still can’t be both smart and pretty. Further complicating the matter, green itself has been accused of sexism! How’s that for progress, eh?

Apple – One of the most anticipated events of the year was the launch of the iPad. We also saw a plethora of eco-friendly iPhone covers, and others made of rosewood, plants and bamboo. But no matter how green our gadgets, will we always wonder whether we can live without them? Yep, probably.

Food Revolution – 2010 saw schools saying adios to junk food (and Sara Palin getting mad about it), urbanites saying yes to farming, and more discussion about the problem that is the global food system. In other news – the concept of being a foodie rose in our consciousness this year, as people became increasingly fascinated with culinary culture and great cuisine. From food carts to all things pork to urban wineries, the foodie has arrived – your table is ready!

Electric Cars – It was a year to remember for the electric car. With the new EPA fuel efficiency labels meaning business, car manufacturers did the same. It seems everyone who’s anyone had an entry into the electric lineup – Mercedes and BMW, the Nissan Leaf (which was already sold out in the U.S. by July) and the Chevy Volt. And it appears we’ll be seeing more charging stations in the next year as well. Good thing!

Gorgeous Green Living – 2010 was full of talk about prefab, small spaces and McMansions, but EcoSalon saw a subtler, deeper theme at play: how green, vintage and good taste combine to make gorgeous living. We immersed ourselves in all areas of art and design and garnered loads of green lessons from what we found. We researched and scoured the web to bring you design insights, ideas and inspiration. Because in these not-so-stable times – when we can control our spaces, our immediate surroundings, but not much else – a visceral dose of art and color and gorgeous is oh-so-wonderful.

and last, but definitely not least…

We decided that Green Needs to Grow Up – It cannot be coddled nor supported uncritically. We owe it to ourselves and our future generations to insist upon good standards and good products in green. So when things like deodorant and amusement parks announce they are green all over, we investigate. We’re tired of greenwashing and false advertising, and you should be, too.

Images: Deepwater Horizon Response, kevindooley, Stiv Wilson, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, jessjamesjake, xjyxjy, Robert Scoble, bokchoi-snowpea, Lisa Cohen (via Living Inside), CoCreatr.

The post Top 11 Hottest Topics of 2010 from EcoSalon appeared first on EcoSalon.

And 2010 was no exception. It was indeed a stellar year for serious and many-sided environmental discussions. We hope you enjoyed the controversy, I mean year, as much as we did!

Here’s our greatest hits list for 2010…

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• »

GINK (Green Inclinations, No Kids) – Want to help the environment? Stop procreating. Turns out, going childless is the greenest choice of all. GINK describes women who decide not to have kids for any number of reasons, but mainly they consider the childless choice a huge gain for the environment. And furthermore, did you know that women can find peace, contentment and even happiness sans baby? Amazing!

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• »

Gulf Series – The BP Oil spill last April was tragic and terrifying to witness from afar, but when one of our writers traveled to the Gulf of Mexico and reported back, we got much more than we bargained for, including the devastating details of the aftermath and cleanup.

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• »

Gyre Series – Plastic pollution is collecting in the earth’s waters. It’s a catastrophic problem and one that we followed first hand (well, almost) while sailing the South Atlantic Gyre. Actually, Stiv Wilson, one of our editors, went on the adventure and yes, he lived to tell us all about it. In fact, the saga continues.

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• »

Politics versus Science – It was a big year for politics and science, with solar panels reappearing on the White House, emails leaking with twisted facts and figures, and a newly elected Republican Congress and the resurgence of climate change denial. One battle after another. We faced the Global Warming deniers and naysayers but in the end it seems, Americans still trust science. Phew!

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• »

Fur? Leather? Vegan? Oh yes! – Debate and controversy ran rampant in the fashion arena this year, and no one came out wrong. The fur versus leather discussion continued, while vegans consistently said no to anything animal. But if anything artificial and man-made only adds to the mess we’re in, why not wear fur? So many questions, all sorts of answers. In the end it comes down to personal preference and hopefully, an earnest attempt to pay attention to the planet.

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• »

Gender & Sexism – 2010 was also a big year for the ladies, or wait – is it gals or women or dames? It was a big year, as in, we’re still not making as much, still being asked why we’re not married and having babies, and still can’t be both smart and pretty. Further complicating the matter, green itself has been accused of sexism! How’s that for progress, eh?

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• »

Apple – One of the most anticipated events of the year was the launch of the iPad. We also saw a plethora of eco-friendly iPhone covers, and others made of rosewood, plants and bamboo. But no matter how green our gadgets, will we always wonder whether we can live without them? Yep, probably.

Food Revolution – 2010 saw schools saying adios to junk food (and Sara Palin getting mad about it), urbanites saying yes to farming, and more discussion about the problem that is the global food system. In other news – the concept of being a foodie rose in our consciousness this year, as people became increasingly fascinated with culinary culture and great cuisine. From food carts to all things pork to urban wineries, the foodie has arrived – your table is ready!

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• »

Electric Cars – It was a year to remember for the electric car. With the new EPA fuel efficiency labels meaning business, car manufacturers did the same. It seems everyone who’s anyone had an entry into the electric lineup – Mercedes and BMW, the Nissan Leaf (which was already sold out in the U.S. by July) and the Chevy Volt. And it appears we’ll be seeing more charging stations in the next year as well. Good thing!

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• »

Gorgeous Green Living – 2010 was full of talk about prefab, small spaces and McMansions, but EcoSalon saw a subtler, deeper theme at play: how green, vintage and good taste combine to make gorgeous living. We immersed ourselves in all areas of art and design and garnered loads of green lessons from what we found. We researched and scoured the web to bring you design insights, ideas and inspiration. Because in these not-so-stable times – when we can control our spaces, our immediate surroundings, but not much else – a visceral dose of art and color and gorgeous is oh-so-wonderful.

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• »

…and last, but definitely not least…

We decided that Green Needs to Grow Up – It cannot be coddled nor supported uncritically. We owe it to ourselves and our future generations to insist upon good standards and good products in green. So when things like deodorant and amusement parks announce they are green all over, we investigate. We’re tired of greenwashing and false advertising, and you should be, too.

Images: Deepwater Horizon Response, kevindooley, Stiv Wilson, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, jessjamesjake, xjyxjy, Robert Scoble, bokchoi-snowpea, Lisa Cohen (via Living Inside), CoCreatr.

The post Top 11 Hottest Topics of 2010 from EcoSalon appeared first on EcoSalon.

Depending on which camp you belong to, vegan or eco (and they are two completely different ones), your views on wearing animals will differ greatly.

If you are vegan, they will not only differ, they will absolutely mean you never wear another piece of clothing or accessory made from an animal again. The eco establishment will argue that recycling and using sustainable materials (ones not filled with pesticides or petroleum by-products) is the better way to go. It’s a tough consumer dilemma, and one that divides, as there are strong arguments for both.

When I came across Harricana by Mariouche, I thought the recycled fur line was tastefully done and contacted the designer Mariouche Gagné for an interview.

My two questions for her rested on the claim that the company “has recycled over 50,000 coats and turned them into new branded creations, adding up to nearly 400 metric tons of refurbished fur,” an estimated half a million animals’ lives saved thanks to recycling countless vintage jackets and pelts. While I thought the idea of recycling fur into forward designs was ingenious, the devil’s advocate in me also thought if I were an animal rights activist, I’d think the mere wearing of fur just promoted it – and I’d be angry.

Second, noticing her claim that the shops featuring her work were all over the world, I wondered if the reason they aren’t sold in the U.S. is due to a different mentality about wearing fur.

Harricana by Mariouche, Winter 2010

Mariouche has her own feelings about wearing fur: “I like to think further than just that the poor animal that died for the jacket a hundred years ago, I think about the animals I save now by recycling. That makes a lot more sense,” she says from her Montreal studio which today has international sales in 18 countries including Switzerland, France, Austria, Germany, and Russia.

“I am not for making with new,” she adds. “I recycle thousands of coats, silk scarves and army jackets every year into pieces that will last for another 100 years. I don’t design just for a passing trend.”

Amongst her cold weather designing credentials – like living at the North Pole – Mariouche has spent time in Kuujjuaq in Nunavik, where local Inuit women make clothing using traditional methods and see the killing of an animal in a holistic way where every drop of the animal is utilized from their oil to their pelt. While she does not condone the killing of animals, her message is clear: “We are all these city hypocrites and we want other people we don’t see to kill our food and make our clothes and that, is not natural.”

Harricana by Mariouche, Winter 2010

Jennifer Miller, founder of Mission Savvy, an eco-boutique that pairs eco fashion with pressing issues in animal welfare has her own feelings on recycling fur: “I’m just sort of over it. That’s all.”

A longtime animal rights activist, Miller asks why we even need to be wearing fur in the first place.

“If you live in a heated house, have the privilege of being able to cook yourself a warm meal and snuggle up in a warm bed at night, there’s no real survival purpose to owning a fur coat. Communities outside of true indigenous lifestyles really have no purpose wearing fur. And therefore if you are inclined to wear it, choose your Nordic destination, endure a season of coastal fishing, sheep herding, knitting, hunting and territorial defense and really immerse yourself in the culture of having no choice but to wear fur. Otherwise please spare me the headache of preaching about how the jacket keeps you warm in the winter, all 1.5 hours of the day that you are actually outside,” says Miller.

But from an animal welfare perspective, Miller thinks if there must be a fur industry, it should most certainly revolve around recycled fur with not a single animal being skinned alive again.

“Fur can be put to better use than fashion,” she says, “There are hundreds of thousands of homeless people that would appreciate a fur coat donation. Humane Society of the United States has a great program called ‘Coats for Cubs’ where you can donate your fur coat and it’s used to comfort animals in rehab. And what about using them as a down alternative as well? Fur stuffed blankets is another great idea for families with children that can’t afford to turn on the heat in the winter.”

Mariouche, who might agree with the multitude of uses for fur, holds the position that no matter what, people are going to buy fur.

“I offer people with money a choice though to be more ethical and I think if you can offer that in the luxury sector, giving them a choice, it’s better than nothing.”

Top Image From Harricana by Mariouche

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