Following the success of its anti-fur campaign which saw the decline of animal fur in fashion, the association for the defense of animal rights PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is expanding its actions to raise awareness on animal cruelty, from animal fur to the trade of leather, wool and exotic skins, as Anissa Putois explains to Le Boudoir Numérique. For the communications officer of PETA France, "technology has a role to play in the transition of the fashion sector towards ethical and ecological alternatives".

By Ludmilla Intravaia

Le Boudoir Numérique : Last February, PETA announced the end of its "I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ads, on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of this anti-fur campaign which saw celebrities around the world undress to fight against the use of this material derived from animal exploitation. Why ?

Anissa Putois, communications officer at PETA France : Following the success of our “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” (all info here), the fur industry is now in a downward spiral. As the use of fur in fashion is almost over, we are marking this historic turning point, by widening our field of action to other fields in which animals still need our help, the leather, wool and exotic skins trade. These last years, and notably these twelve last months, have seen a major transformation of the fashion sector, concerning the use of fur. Big houses like Chanel (more info here), Versace (see here), Prada (see here) or Jean-Paul Gaultier (see here) have committed to stop selling them and other brands, outside the world of luxury, are also turning away from it, such as The Kooples (see here), Zadig & Voltaire (see here) or SMCP group (regrouping the ready-to-wear brands Sandro, Maje and Claudie Pierlot, see info here, AN). And it is not only creators and companies who make this choice but also cities or states like California (see info here) who not only are committed not to produce new animal furs but also to ban their sale. Even the Queen of England (see info here) has decided not to have fur outfits anymore. Elizabeth II adapts to the society of her time, which sends a very strong message about the change in public opinion on this subject, about the disgust felt by people who turn their backs on animal fur. It is simply no longer acceptable to walk from head to toe in a mink coat today.

Below: some photos of the “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign with, respectively, the following personalities : Pamela Anderson, Tyra Banks, Eve Angeli, Kim Basinger, Gillian Anderson, Tommy Lee, Eva Mendes, Pink (© PETA)  

Don't you fear a comeback of animal fur if you let go of your media pressure ?

Certainly, the fur industry will try to come back. We already see advertising campaigns in this direction. Nevertheless, we are confident because it is the consumers who are leading the movement and as there are alternatives, animal fur has no longer any reason to exist. There are generations of young consumers who would never knowingly want to wear animal fur. That said, a brand like Canada Goose against which PETA has been campaigning for years (see info here) continues to use fur from wild coyotes trapped, in excruciating pain, in steel traps for its jackets fur trim. Some people, for whom animal fur is from another time, from a bygone era, could buy such a jacket without thinking, because they do not even imagine that it can be real fur. So to clarify, we will not stop raising awareness about the cruelty of the animal fur trade and targeting the brands that continue to sell it because unfortunately, there are still some left and this cruelty persists. We continue the fight.

Your awareness-raising actions will therefore be extended to the leather, wool and exotic skins trade. Let's start with sheep's wool. What are you denouncing in this industry ?

Many people still ignore it, but the harvesting of wool is not a simple shearing, for sheeps who would received painless "haircuts", far from it. Obtaining wool comes at the cost of great suffering for the animals. PETA has unveiled thirteen video surveys, shot in more than 150 sheep farms around the world, notably in Australia, one of the world's largest producers, but also in Argentina, the United States, the United Kingdom and, everywhere, the acts of mistreatment on sheeps, these very peaceful and calm animals, are identical (see the videos here). Workers are generally paid by volume, not by the hour, which encourages them to work as quickly as possible and leads to rough handling of sheeps, who are being inflicted numerous cuts and injuries. Sheep shearing is so violent that some animals die from heart attack while undergoing this terrifying experience. And then, as in any animal exploitation, when the animals are no longer considered profitable, they are slaughtered. Sometimes they are sent to the Middle East, in terrible transport conditions, where they will be killed in conditions that are no less so.

What about the fibers from the fleece of angora rabbits, as well as those from angora and cashmere goats?

Angora wool, the downy coat of angora rabbits, is harvested by plucking out their hairs, while they are alive, a terrifying and painful experience that amounts to real torture. PETA footage shows the heartbreaking cries they make when the fur is ripped out of their skin, several times a year, for two to three years before being killed (more info here). Goats are also exploited for their mohair and cashmere fibers which are shorn under extremely harsh conditions. Sometimes the shearers are so brutal that they break the goats limbs or the back of their neck (more info here). In addition, like rabbits, other animals such as geese and ducks experience a similar trauma, when their plumage is plucked alive, for example in China, to obtain their down (more info here).

The leather trade also generates suffering for cows, calves, horses, lambs, goats, pigs, not to mention dogs and cats...

Again, investigations from around the world (see here) reveal the worst cruelties, in countries where no sanctions are applied against animal abuse. In Bangladesh, for example, cows are forced to walk hundreds of kilometers to the slaughterhouse. When exhausted, they collapse, spices are put in their eyes or their tail is broken so that they get up. At the slaughterhouse, the animals are still conscious, when their throat is cut or when their skin is being removed. In Brazil, images show calves dragged on the ground, their faces branded with a hot iron, screaming in front of their mother witnessing their torture, before being hung upside down to be slaughtered and butchered. And it's not just cows. In China and other Asian countries, dogs and cats are also killed for their leather. As the leather trade is absolutely not transparent, in terms of traceability, you can never really determine with certainty the origin and even the species of the leather. We cannot know if the leather gloves we just bought are made from cow skin, dog skin or any other animal skin.

Humans often feel less empathy for crocodiles, alligators, snakes or silkworms, but again the trade of exotic skins and silk is not without cruelty ...

Empathy seems a little more difficult when it comes to reptiles and insects. Maybe because they don't look like us, they don't scream the same way, when they suffer. We recognize ourselves less in them. However, investigations have shown that crocodiles, confined in dirty pits, sometimes so narrow that they cannot even turn around, before being stripped of their skin are also suffering. Images show crocodiles, already skinned, who continue to move, because they are conscious and alive (more info here). It is known by experts that due to their slow metabolism, it can take a long time before they die. Even if you don't recognize yourself in these animals, it's impossible to deny that their suffering is unacceptable. Just like that of silkworms, boiled alive inside their cocoon to be able to recover the silk thread, intended for our clothes (more info here). Even if it is difficult to have empathy for a worm, it is absolutely useless to make anyone suffer, when we have so many alternatives today in terms of textiles.

What are the goals of your campaign reorientation : to push brands to give up the use of these materials of animal origin and to use alternative materials ?

Yes, we would like to see the same public opinion turnaround that we had for fur, with consumers leading the charge, for the ban of  leather, for example. Some of them have already renounced it for ethical and environmental reasons, since raising animals for food is extremely polluting. We would not only like consumers to turn their backs on these materials but also that brands follow the movement, by stopping selling them to move towards alternatives like Piñatex pineapple leather (website here), Vegea grape leather  (website here), apple, mushroom, coffee leathers, in short, all of these innovations so exciting because they are ethical and ecological.

Do you think that technology has a role to play in the fight against animal suffering, for example with research and development on that kind of alternative materials ?

Obviously, technology is at the heart of this problem. This was expressed by Stella McCartney, on the eve of her fashion show (the British designer’s Fall-Winter 20-21 collection, where models in animal costumes walked the catwalk to defend the rights of sentient beings , was presented on March 2, 2020, in Paris, see video below, AN), during a conference bringing together fashion professionals, government officials and animal associations. During this round table, the British designer, leading the change for a more ethical fashion, emphasized the importance of innovation in fashion, because it is thanks to this technological research that we we will be able to replace animal materials with innovative vegan ones, better for the environment (more info here). We do not ask people to stop wearing leather boots and bags. We suggest that they choose accessories that are no longer made from animal materials but with ethical and ecological leathers, just as aesthetic, elegant and having the same properties, because consumers must be able to continue wearing what they like, which attracts them. This is what has already happened with the replacement of animal fur, for example with initiatives like that of the French company Ecopel (website here) which develops faux furs resembling animal furs. In the same way, a bag made from apple pulp can really have the same feel to the touch, the same visual appearance as a leather bag of animal origin. In this sense, innovation helps us to remain faithful to our habits, to what is familiar to us, to our traditions but in a more ethical way. Thus, technology has a role to play in the transition of the fashion sector towards ethical and ecological alternatives. It can help end the exploitation of animals for fashion.

Below, discover Stella McCartney AW 20-21 show, in Paris.

How do you see the future development of technological advances in the fight against animal suffering in fashion ?

I am positive. Biofabrication, even if it is still in its infancy, offers interesting prospects for alternative materials. Applications with point systems, for example, allow consumers to be better informed about the traceability and origin of their products. A company like H&M encourages circular innovations in fashion with its Global Change Award competition (see here) which, among other things, rewarded, in 2017, Vegea's research on grape leather, made from waste from the wine industry. What is also great is when an internationally renowned brand like Hugo Boss, who had already released shoes in Piñatex (see here), launches its first suit for men, without wool, entirely vegan (more info here, suit is there). We can hope that, thanks to R&D and technology, we obtain even better natural alternatives, even closer to what is expected from wool, for example, but which do not come from animals. And what we would like is that brands, rather than waiting for alternatives to exist, lead the charge, on the front line, to develop new ones, in particular fibers to replace wool, mohair and cashmere, because they have the means to do it and that they know what their customers want.

Below : vegan sneakers in Piñatex and vegan slim-fit suit in Italian linen by Hugo Boss (© Hugo Boss)

As you mentioned, the commitment of consumers is essential in the fight against animal suffering. How can they help this cause ? For example, by opting for animal-friendly fashion brands, authenticated by your “Peta-Approved Vegan” logo ?

Indeed, we certify brands that do not use products from animal exploitation or whose certain items are completely vegan (more info here). Overall, there are a lot of vegan products among brands, as you can see by reading the labels and learning about the brands. For example, many caring and compassionate people who absolutely do not want to pay to support the suffering of animals still buy items, for example sweaters containing 50% cashmere, without making the connection with the mistreatment of goats. The first thing is therefore to be informed, to talk about it to your loved ones, to people around you and, finally, to be aware of the fact that you have a voice, as a consumer. You tried a sweater in a store, it suits you but you realized that it contains 5% cashmere ? Well, write to the brand asking it to stop selling this wool. This type of action is doomed to success because brands listen to the desires of their customers, in a context where an increasing number of them no longer wants to support animal suffering.

* PETA France website is here. PETA USA website is there. 

* Continue reading with these Boudoir Numérique papers : 

- Disrupt leather industry with a respectful and innovative alternative

- Technology has a role to play in fashion traceability