fur files

Tim Gunn Signs On With PETA

You have to hand it to PETA — they sure know how to be persistent. The animal-rights group has enlisted none other than Tim Gunn to be its new spokesman in a video decrying using rabbit fur from China. China has no laws that prevent animal cruelty and, as such, you can imagine how things are on the animal farms. Gunn gives kudos to companies who have changed suppliers after viewing PETA’s videos.

However, PETA, on the same page as the video, goes after its favorite target these days, Donna Karan, despite the fact that she’s not using fur anymore. A spokesperson told the New York Post, “There is no fur in any of our lines for Fall 2009, and we currently have no plans to use fur.” And we couldn’t identify fur in her recent collections, so if there is any, there’s not much. So can we leave her alone now? PETA also singled out Giorgio Armani, who isn’t backing down from using rabbit fur. A rep told the Post:

“Despite the fact that we have previously sold products made from animal fur, the Armani Group has now decided to renounce making such items with the exception of those in rabbit fur, the by-product of an animal that is a staple source of food … We must stress that PETA is exploiting our name to stir up public opinion without acknowledging that we actually include very few fur items in our collections, while certain competitors of ours base much of their business on furs.”

You have to hand it to PETA — they sure know how to be persistent. The animal-rights group has enlisted none other than Tim Gunn to be its new spokesman in a video decrying using rabbit fur from China. China has no laws that prevent animal cruelty and, as such, you can imagine how things are on the animal farms. Gunn gives kudos to companies who have changed suppliers after viewing PETA’s videos.

However, PETA, on the same page as the video, goes after its favorite target these days, Donna Karan, despite the fact that she’s not using fur anymore. A spokesperson told the New York Post, “There is no fur in any of our lines for Fall 2009, and we currently have no plans to use fur.” And we couldn’t identify fur in her recent collections, so if there is any, there’s not much. So can we leave her alone now? PETA also singled out Giorgio Armani, who isn’t backing down from using rabbit fur. A rep told the Post:

Tim Gunn Signs On With PETA