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Candy Tong
Lynda Haas
WR39C
30 August 2015
Fashion Forward to Faux Fur
I.

Introduction
Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or use in any
other way is the moto that is showcased in bold font on the homepage of People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) website. PETA takes a stand against those in the fashion industry
that praise fur. Whether it came from an animal on a fur farm or one who was trapped in the
wild, every fur coat, trinket, and bit of trim caused an animal tremendous suffering and even
taking away its life. It is 2015, so why is fur still so trendy? In 2000, thanks to PETA, there were
only 41 designers using fur in their fashion line. PETA had a popular opinion and influence on
the people about fur in the 90s, but today there are over 500 designers using real fur. However
some may say that PETA still has influence on this issue, but it is the fact that designers choose
to ignore the issue because of financial reasons. In February/March and September/October of
every year, fashion week takes place all over the world where designers debut their newest and
trendiest clothing line. This past spring of 2015, fur made a huge comeback due to the financial
crisis. It is to be said that "The luxury of political correctness may have gone down the drain with
the financial crisis," said one lobbyist for the fur industry. "If you're in a situation where the
economy is on a downward trend, politicians tend to focus on essentials - how to get economic
growth going again, securing jobs." (Fitzgerald) From the catwalk to the crowd, avoiding eye
contact with fur is by far impossible at fashion week. However the reality is that fur is all over

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the runways right now showcased especially from designers of Burberry, Dior, and Gucci to
name a few. This only means its only a matter of time before it makes its way into the high end
stores and thenwhether PETA likes it or nottrickles down to the more affordable stores at the
mall.

II.

Scientific Review
Before I address the problems of the fashion industry and the animal cruelty that lingers

on with it, I will introduce a scholarly review on rabbits and their consciousness to set a scientific
foundation for a logical argument against the use of fur for fashion; that animals do in fact have
feelings like humans, so therefore we humans should not invade their habitat. Laboratory rodents
and rabbits have partially adapted to captive life, but still reveal similarities to their wild
counterparts (Baumans 2004; Berdoy 2002; Stauffacher 1995). Examples of such behavior
include attempts to flee, to bite when handled, or to become suddenly immobile to avoid being
detected. Ideally, the animal should feel secure in a complex environment that it can control as
consciousness is something we share with non-human animals. It is an awareness mechanism
that any living organism feels towards its surroundings. Humans attain a superior level of
awareness and consciousness by means of the level of experience to grasp and feel certain
aspects that transpire in nature. Scientists have studied the awareness and consciousness of
animals and have had many debates on whether or not it is similar to humans. In my essay, I will
be analyzing studies held throughout the past few decades aimed towards the thoughts and
feelings of rabbits, if there are any, and how these mindsets affect the way humans perceive
animals.
Back in the 1990s, scientists such as Bernard Baars, a neurobiologist who helped to
develop an ancient metaphor of the mind did research framework of human consciousness called

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Global Workspace Theory. He began investing their time in the awareness of animal
consciousness, with an astonishing number of new journals, books, and scholarly journals
discussing the subject from different perspectives. Some of these scientists included not only
Baars (1988,1997), but also Francis Crick who shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or
Medicine in 1962 for his work and continued conducting research on the structure of DNA until
his death in 2004. Along with scientists Baars and Crick, Patrick Flanagan invented the
Neurophone in 1958; which is an electronic nervous system excitation device that transmits
sound through the skin directly to the brain. However almost all of the emphasis these scientists
spent time on was on human consciousness with a few studies of brain mechanisms related to
both human and monkeys on consciousness. By engaging in anthropomorphism, using human
terms to explain animas emotions or feelings, humans make other animals worlds accessible to
themselves. Ethnologists have learned that some animals express not only basic emotions such as
fear of aggression, but sometimes also specific semantic information about important matters
such as approaching dangers--for example death. Therefore it is a logical conclusion that animals
are feeling and thinking by what weve gathered from our human companions. Evolutionary
biologists care about the adaptive advantages conscious experience may afford. Many have
doubted that there are any such advantages, and two arguments have been advanced to support
this opinion, as reviewed by Baars (1988, 1997); Allen and Bekoff (1997); and Searle (1998): (1)
whatever an animal does might be done unconsciously, and (2) consciousness is an
epiphenomenon that has no effect on behavior and therefore cannot have any adaptive value.
(Griffin) These two arguments include increasing appreciation for the versatility of animal
behavior, especially their semantic communication and the similarity of neural structures and
functions between humans and nonhuman animals. Evidence is shown through analysis of

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animal communication, which often appears to express simple thoughts and emotional
experiences. Animal consciousness is not perfectly transparent as of now, but it does provide
significant evidence of conscious awareness and emotional feeling. These animals that are being
skinned alive for fur are being bred at first before killed for fur.

Scientists like Blanchard (2004) who researched on applied science have tested on rabbits
to find out more information about their emotions with lab work. In a study defined as a fourspecies CA, scientists such as Blanchard proposed a model where the communicated emotions
will include hints about a variety of survival conditions such as satisfaction (from food, fear
(from predator), and disgust (from food poisoning). Emotions enable foxes and rabbits to
improve their decisions and share their experiences with neighboring conspecifics. Results
indicate that emotions increase adaptability, help control disease, and improve survival for the
species that utilizes them. (Blanchard) These emotions will result in behavior directing the
individual to move in the best direction for survival. The species that were tested were rabbits,
foxes, and carrots; all of which that are able to reproduce. The reproduction in rabbits and foxes
is affected by emotions. Some results were that rabbits and foxes with emotions have altered
reproduction rates, and movement direction preferences from their unemotional counterparts.
However, due to fewer, disgust and anger rabbits reproduce the least, which ultimately decreases
their probability for reproduction. Rabbits are reproducing the least, eating the least, having the
lowest disease, and starving the most. It therefore is most likely that rabbits are best off with
rabbit only emotion because it allows them to escape foxes the easiest. Emotions that
respondents attributed to rabbits are illustrated in the figure below. Respondents attribute a high
number of primary emotions to rabbits, and all respondents indicated that rabbits could
experience fear, pain, boredom and anxiety. The secondary emotions attributed by respondents

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were grief, hate, jealousy, pride and shame. In a large-scale survey, Morris and others determined
which primary and secondary emotions the owners of different pet species attributed to pets.
Anthropomorphism, the attribution of human qualities to animals, has been linked with the
development of behavior problems and compromised welfare in dogs and cats. It has been
suggested that improvements in companion animal welfare might come about by focusing on
education about responsible pet ownership and respect for animals. (Miura 2002).

Furthermore, it is safe to say that the evidence shown from a few scientists and
researchers that animals, rabbits in particular, have consciousness. Versatility of behavior when
animals cope with novel and unpredictable challenges strongly suggests simple conscious
thinking about alternative actions as animal communication provides direct and objective, though
incomplete and imperfect, evidence about some of their conscious thoughts and feelings. With a
better understanding of the thoughts and feelings of rabbits, science tells us that this is a logical
foundation from which to question our human actions. It now relies on the humans
responsibility and perception of these animals and how humans will proceed to treat and respect
them.

III.

The Problem

With many investigations undergoing at fur farms, animal group activists such as PETA,
made their way onto Chinese fur farms, the largest fur exporters where they found that many
animals were still alive and struggling desperately when workers flip them onto their backs or
hang them up by their legs or tails as they skin them. These workers cut the skin and fur from an
animals leg, and stomp on the necks and heads of animals that struggle too hard to allow a clean

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cut. Two undercover investigators from Swiss Animal Protection/ EAST International toured fur
farms in Chinas Hubei Province where there are no penalties for abusing animals on fur farms
(PETA). It quickly became clear why outsiders are banned from visiting as it is because farmers
can house and slaughter animals however they see fit. On these farms, animals such as rabbits,
foxes, minks, dogs, cats and other animals pace and shiver in outdoor wire cages, exposed to the
rain, the freezing nights, and even at times the scorching sun. PETA says conditions on Chinese
fur farms make a mockery of the most elementary animal welfare standards. In their lives and
their unspeakable deaths, these animals have been denied even the simplest acts of kindness.
China supplies more than half of the finished fur garments imported for sale in the United States.
Chinese fur product imports reached record US$ 463 million in 2009. Mink and fox pelts
accounts for 890.2 percent of all fur pelt imports. Sadly, Chinas fur material imports have even
risen in the past ten years. It has made the globalization of the fur trade impossible to know
where fur products come from. Born Free USA, a national animal advocacy nonprofit
organization claims that more than 50 million animals are violently killed for use in fashion
every year. Even if a fur garments label says it was made in Europe, the animals were likely
raised and slaughtered elsewhere; and most likely on an unregulated Chinese fur farm. And the
only way to prevent such cruelty is never to wear any fur. Designer brands like Bebe and
Michael Kors continue to import fur from China, while others such as Ralph Lauren, Tommy
Hilfiger and Stella McCartney have all decided to be completely fur-free.

However, now some animal activists say that faux fur may be misleading. Some fear that
wearing faux fur sends the message that real fur is fashionable. While others, like me, tend to
disagree. In my mind and of many others, buying faux fur sends the message that there is a
market for that particular product, and buying it may encourage designers to incorporate faux fur

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into their collections. PETA tells animal activists to not be worried because cruelty-free fabrics
and faux furs are available in stores everywhere. PETA continues to work with designers and
clothing retailers to encourage them to use and sell only animal-friendly fabrics. A solution that
can help solve all problems is a law that simply stops all animal cruelty from happening in other
countries. Why is this not big of an issue to get fur off the fashion market? Also apparently today
in Canada, fur garments may not be as in, but fur trims have made a huge statement in the
industry.

Below Figure 1 shows animal cruelty in the Canadian fur industry. More than 3 million
animals are being killed annually. (PETA). While the use of fur in garments has been steadily
declining over the last decade, the use of fur trim in jackets and accessories has spurred a recent
resurgence. This infographic examines the origin of fur trim,
and the impact it has as it makes its way from the wilderness
to the store.
As mentioned earlier, unfortunately, no federal
humane slaughter law protects animals on fur factory farms.
The fur industry refuses to condemn even blatantly cruel
killing methods. As on factory farms where animals are
raised for food, the methods used on fur factory farms are
designed to maximize profits, always at the expense of the
Figure 1. Animal Cruelty Infographic.

been a huge problem for the

animals. Selling fur has

last two decades and it will

continue to be one until more people take action. There are more than enough people on this
planet to help ban fur from appearing in stores.

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On the greater end of things, nothing is impossible meaning there is a solution to stop fur fashion
from expanding even greater. Fur from cats, dogs, raccoons, rabbits, and other animals are
exported to consumers in the U.S. and abroad where they are often dyed to look like the fur of
other animals. Sometimes the fur is even deliberately mislabeled as synthetic. The cultural and
economic inertia driving the Chinese fur trade is incredibly daunting. This fur is exported to
consumers in the U.S. and abroad where it is often dyed to look like the fur of other animals.
(PETA) More than half of these fur garment sold in the U.S. is being imported from China where
more than 2 million cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs each year suffer through a miserable
life. To slow down the process of the fur trade, we can educate consumers more about he the true
price of fur. The quickest way to dismantle the fur trade is to start with your own habits. Take a
pledge to stop buying fur, and encourage your friends and family to do exactly the same. The
spread of word is the most strongest and effective way to be aware of this particular topic. To
fight against fur, you can too join petitions and campaigns to help alleviate the pain and suffering
of animals on Chinese fur farms by finding local, state, and federal campaigns.

IV. The Solution

There is no doubt that social media is the number one way to spread news. Social media
gives anti-fur activists a new tactics to pressure retailers and designers. In PETAs gruesome
video (linked here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEBLpMAEueY) narrated by actress
Olivia Munn, exposes the fur faming practices in China has been viewed over 9 million times on
Facebook. Ink Not Mink a very famous PETA social media campaign too as well has caught
the eyes of many animal activists. Not only has it brought attention to the people, but also social
media has caught the attention of the US Senate. On Dec 7th, 2010 the H.R. 2480: Truth in Fur
Labeling Act was passed, which provided a much needed upgrade to the nearly 60 year old

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federal fur labeling law. The Human Society of United States (HSUS) have been advocating for
years that a new national policy was needed to ensure accuracy and consistency in the labeling of
fur-trimmed apparel, after investigations found dozens of major designers and retailers selling
unlabeled jackets trimmed with animal fur, and some of it falsely advertised as faux fur. Since
the1950s, any fur garment sold in the U.S. has had to include a label indicating the species of
animal used and the country of origin. Updating this nearly six-decades-old labeling law will
level the playing field, requiring that the remaining fur-trimmed garments meet the same labeling
standard. The Federal Trade Commission, consumer organizations, designers, and retailers back
this legislation, says HSUS.

In terms of fashion, as problematic as it seems fur will always still exist in the fashion
world. As much as many animal activists and I wish that it didnt, we are able to help lessen the
appearance in stores and stop designers from using so much of the material. Fortunately, fashion
designers like Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein no longer use fur in any of their collections or
on the runway says animal activist, Mark Hawthorne of the nonprofit organization, Striking at
the Roots. There are already glimmers of hope where people are wearing less full fur coats, but
yet still a little trim. A growing number of department stores have gone fur-free, thanks to PETA.
Nike, JCPenney, Urban Outfitters, Polo Ralph Lauren, Gap, Forever 21, and dozens of other no
longer support the cruel fur industry. Instead they have introduced fur faux to the market.
(Striking at the Roots) One in which even Stella McCartney, one of fashions most vocal animal
rights activists, joined the recent faux-fur boom by presenting a full line of sumptuous faux-fur
coats in her autumn and winter collection unveiled this March in Paris, a notable foray into
anything resembling fur. It wasnt an easy decision, she said. For years, we were looking at fake
furs, but it never felt like the right message for us to promote the look of fur, Ms. McCartney

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wrote in an email. (New York Times) With dramatic improvements in the look and feel of
synthetics, she said, we finally found something that looks great and is consistent with our
philosophy on luxury and cruelty free fashion. What was key for us was to really be able to
capture luxury and richness, Ms. McCartney added. However, with increased dialogue about
fur, the topic has become not just a rallying cry, but a debate. Some see vintage fur as acceptable,
since the animals have long been dead. Others, including even the environmentalist site
Treehugger seem willing to tiptoe into fur, if it is sourced from road kill or animals that died of
natural causes or were culled as pests, like the creations of British designer, Jess Eaton (her ratfur bolero jacket was one signature piece). Although For many, it seems, fur has become just
another where-do-you-draw-the-line ethical issue. As fashion designer, Jason Wu would put it,
some people can choose to be vegetarian, some people are not. Some people dont use leathers
and furs, and some people do. (New York Times) And not everyone is so sanguine, perhaps still
fearing reprisals from the animal rights lobby, which has not disappeared. Protests outside
fashion tents may have died down, but groups like PETA have opened the battle on new fronts,
like social media.

Fur faux is not a trend. Faux fur is more of a lifestyle that clients and buyers are
increasingly comfortable embracing. Historically, fur apparel is very expensive and the price of
faux fur is thousands times more reasonable. Faux fur can be more of a fashion item because a
faux fur coat is affordable enough to be a seasonal purchase. This item can be the new it
clothing trend. "It's the twenty-first century. We can choose to be cruel or kind. With so many
fashionable options out there, there's no excuse to wear the skins of animals," Ashley Byrne at
PETA says. Since the 1980s-1990s faux fur has become quite popular as an alternative to using
animal skins for dress. However, as Lee (2003), fashion expert explains, some people will argue

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that faux fur is a plastic product made from petroleum, which consumes natural resources, and
it creates pollution in the manufacturing state. (Lee 277) Modern marketing strategies, rapid
communication about new trends through the mass media, collective tastes, and the social
environment suggest that fashion furs continue to have staying power. And thank you to modern
technology; it has paved the way for faux fur to be unique and luxurious in its own right. Faux
fur allows for far more creativity in the areas of color, shapes, prints, and patterns. Not only that,
people can also have lengthier trials and sampling processes of faux fur; knowing you are not
harming animals. Also perhaps contrary to what we see and believe, fur is not appealing to the
mainstream. In fact that a famous person wearing fur has likely been paid by the designer to do
so, to perpetuate the bogus notion that people more glamorous than you have caught fur fever,
says Lindsay Rat, an associate director of campaigners for PETA. But hopefully one day it will
become the natural decision for people thinking of buying a winter coat.

Furthermore the world today has adapted to change. We have been exposed to the viral
images and videos of the fur farms in several countries, which has caused outraged and a notion
for petitions and a change of movement. And therefore because of the power of social media,
many solutions have been proposed. It is up to us to make a difference in the fashion industry
and it is up to us to continue to spread the word to our family, friends, and strangers.

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Works Cited
"Best of PETA Prime: Help Shut Down the Chinese Fur Trade." PETA Prime Best of PETA
Prime Help Shut Down the Chinese Fur Trade Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.
http://prime.peta.org/2011/07/china
Euse, Erica. "Despite PETA's Best Efforts, Fur Is Back in Fashion | VICE | United States." VICE.
N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Aug. 2015. https://www.vice.com/read/a-new-generation-of-fur-happydesigners-is-choosing-luxury-over-animal-rights-456
Fitzgerald, David. Sadly, Fur is Making A Comeback In the Fashion World. 24 Feb. 2014.
http://politix.topix.com/news/10517-sadly-fur-is-making-a-comeback-in-the-fashion-world
"Fur Farms." PETA. Web. 12 Aug. 2015. http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-forclothing/fur/fur-farms/
Fur Products Labeling Act. Federal Trade Commission Protecting Americas Consumers.
https://www.ftc.gov/node/119458
Iseman, Courtney. "It's 2015. Fashion Is Full of Vegans. So Why Is Fur Still Trendy?" Racked. 11
Feb. 2015. Web. 12 Aug. 2015. http://www.racked.com/2015/2/11/7986839/fashion-industry-furveganism
Lee, Michelle (2003). Fashion victim. Our love-hate relationship with dressing, shopping, and
the cost of style. New York: Broadway Books.
"Olivia Munn Exposes Never-Before-Seen Footage on Chinese Fur Farms." YouTube. YouTube,
n.d. Web. 18 Aug. 2015.
Sun Christine. A Federal Ban on Fur Farming Across the United States: Long Overdue
Legislation. Secton Hall Law. 2013.
http://scholarship.shu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1313&context=student_scholarship
"The Fur Industry." PETA. Web. 12 Aug. 2015. http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-forclothing/fur/

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