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Fur. Animal Cruelty, Donna Karan. Forced to Mend Her Ways.

PETA announced yesterday that Donna Karan has finally agreed to drop fur from her line of clothes. As people say, even granite cracks in water given enough time. PETA and many other anti-fur activists have continually picketed her stores, even crashed a runway show. Karan, who has a propensity for using rabbit fur, stated that her 2009 products will not include any fur, and no more fur from then on. It was reported that rabbit farmers crush the skulls of rabbits and behead them without making sure that they are dead. Then, they rip the fur of their bodies. Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein are a few big name fashion designers who have given up fur.

According to PETA, Tim Gunn sent Karan a video on the brutal ways of the fur trade---the skinning and dumping of still living but now furless animals; you've seen the videos, haven't you--- and that supposedly helped convince Karan. I don't know about that. I find it improbable that Karan, until then, didn't know about the brutality of the fur trade. She's been in the fashion business for a long time, and I don't think she lived in a bubble. Not dense and uninformed, Karan knew about the cruelty. Remember, it took a year of protest to make her give up fur. I don't think that Karan experienced an epiphany nor a pang of conscience. I believe it was a purely business decision to give up fur, not one based on compassion. The bad publicity was beginning to hurt her profitability. So, congratulations to PETA and all other protesters.
(Photo Credit: Wireimage.com )

Comments

Kelly E. said…
I find it very hard to believe that DK didn't know how they cam about the fur for her product line. Again this is just another way people make money at the expense of living creatures. Have you ever skinned your knee, hurts like heck, now multiple that by like a million. Imagine all of your skin being ripped off your body at once just so that someone can wear it around their neck. Not so appealing now is it.

Kelly E.
10:14 PM
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