Fashion Revolution Week 2016

Faux Label or Faux Fur?

I'm going to turn a corner from Fashion Revolution Week's theme of featuring our own fashion community because there is something that I read that has haunted me for quite some time.

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It has to do with fur, faux fur. There is a lot of it in the fabric stores. I never really gave much thought to it because I alway thought of it as a man-made fabric. And other than that, I wasn't really drawn to sewing a faux fur garment. But ever since reading this below, I've been thinking about faux fur every time I pass by a bolt or cut of faux fur at the store.  

Garments made from dog and cat fur are sold in markets and stores, as well as on China’s version of eBay, called taobao.com — often as jackets or vests but also as fashion accessories, trinkets and trims, even as cat-fur car seat upholstery and dog-pelt mattress covers.

Mona Lung, a Beijing-based project officer for the animal rights group ACTAsia, estimates two million cats and dogs are slaughtered each year in China.

The U.S., European Union and Australia have laws that ban importing cat and dog fur, whether it’s trim on a parka or the cuff on leather gloves.

Canada has no restrictions on fur imports, except for endangered species.

According to Industry Canada, 60 per cent of all fur garments that enter Canada come from China, trade worth about $12 million annually.

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Because the cat and dog fur is often exported from China as trim on inexpensive garments, the U.S. tightened its ban in 2010 by requiring that all fur products be labeled — even those valued under $150 — for country of origin and species.

Canada has no similar requirements, despite the introduction of several private member’s bills in Parliament. Activists say that Canada could become a dumping ground for this fur.

But even if a country has laws about products being labeled it doesn't mean that you're getting the right information.

Once fur is mislabeled it is almost impossible to determine the species because of the harsh tanning, dying and shearing processes, explains Judith Eger, senior curator of mammals in the department of natural history at the Royal Ontario Museum.

Heart-breaking and beyond cruel that this could even remotely be true. ~sigh~  Not only should we consider the human rights denied to many working in the garment industry during Fashion Revolution week, there are environmental and animal rights that are being callously disregarded by some. Yet, Peta suggests that faux fur "can be a good alternative" for those who want the look of real fur. I don't know what the answer is here. I just know that stories like these have profoundly made me think about what we wear.