From our eco-friendly blog Hippyshopper...
One of the maddest things I've seen on the web for some time has to be this new marketing site from the Fur Council of Canada, claiming that fur is "the ultimate eco clothing".
If that wasn't preposterous enough a claim in itself, the strapline used on the site is 'protecting nature while pampering yourself'. Now, I'm sorry if I've missed something here, but in what way is cruelly trapping animals and stealing their skins in the name of fashion 'protecting nature'?
Continue reading >>
Well, it seems we were wrong... Russia isn't one country that's impenetrable by PETA - fur is not acceptable anywhere, no matter how cold it is in Moscow. This month's cover for Vogue Russia, which features Cindy Crawford draped in a fur coat has upset the animal rights group. This is the second time the model has caused a stir with anti-fur campaigners. The last time was in 2004 when she agreed to be a spokesperson for PETA before modelling for mink clothing range Blackglama.
"What a wretched and sad excuse for a human being. I think she's an ugly person and a washed-up, withered, mole-faced hag whose career was over 10 years ago," said one angry PETA member. Ouch!
[Source]
Retail chain All Saints have become embroiled in a racism row over their store window displays which feature headless black mannequins being hung by chains. Police were called to a branch in Exeter after complaints were received asking for the display to be taken down.
"These disturbing displays are reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan and the lynching of black people in America," said Rural Racism Project spokesperson, John McKenzie. "The chains used to hang the mannequins also bring to mind slavery and some of the complainants have commented on this".
Continue reading >>
Hippyshopper's Abi Silvester reports...
It's not looking great for Gap. The American chain's clean-cut basics and skinny jeans may be all the rage at the moment, but I've noticed its name crop up in quite a lot of worker-abuse stories recently, and coming from a brand that was accepted by the Ethical Trading Initiative, this ain't good news. And unlike well-known culprit Primark, Gap clothing isn't even cheap!
Gap was caught red-handed in a recent swoop on a textile factory where children as young as ten were found to be working in 'conditions close to slavery' under the threat of beatings. The Observer reported this weekend that Gap denied any knowledge of child labour, and had vowed to reinforce an ethical code of conduct it brought in three years ago.
Continue reading >>
To be honest, she is possibly among one of the last few people I expected to hear a peep from, mainly because it seems that everyone from Kelly Osborne to Mel C have voiced their thoughts on the issue of size zero. But alas, it appears that Dame Helen Mirren also has an opinion on the topic, and a pretty strong one at that.
Following the rejection of her niece by modelling agencies based on her weight, Mirren has spoken out in The Sunday Telegraph, blaming the proliferation of stick-thin models and female fashion editors for perpetuating those images.
"I blame my own sex vehemently on this. It is women who run the magazines and women who editorialise and women who make the decisions," she said.
Continue reading >>
It's not just fur and the spaying of pets that's getting PETA campaigners in a tizz right now, they're also urging the fashion industry and its consumers to avoid using snakeskin products after a rise in the trend hit the catwalks again this season.
Animal skins have been recently used in shoes and accessories by fashion labels including Jimmy Choo, Donna Karan, Mulberry, Gucci, Prada, Roberto Cavalli and Yves Saint Laurent. The trend has also been spotted on the likes of Eva Longoria and Kylie Minogue who was seen with a Zagliani python handbag at the Prince concert last week.
Protesters argue that the use of snake skin is cruel, unregulated and could be speeding up the extinction of certain species. "The skins industry has been pushing itself as a fashion product for some time now. Then Vogue puts it in the magazine and it is fashionable," said Clifford Warwick, a reptile expert and consultant with the Animal Protection Agency.
Continue reading >>
Does the future of fashion design lie in the hands of women? Apparently so according to today's WWD which explores the current changes in the industry where women are taking on the top jobs.
"It is partly a result of the fact that in many fields now, women are being recognized as being up to the top jobs. In fashion, specifically, I think it points to an understanding that women are instinctively in tune with the female customer" said Donatella Versace.
Continue reading >>
digg this |
del.icio.us this
| 
Stumble It!
