Fur Hypocrite: Tim Gunn

Tim Gunn, chairman of fashion design at Parsons.

We’ve been meaning to write about this story for some time now, so excuse the delay. Earlier this year, Tim Gunn supported an event hosted by PETA to unveil their most recent I’d Rather Go Naked ad (read more about it here, on Styleite.) The crazy thing is, he wore leather shoes to the event, and a wool suit. His explanation?

“My advocacy is really directed toward fur specifically,” Gunn said. “It’s so much more succinct and tangible, and there are lots of fake fur options. It’s not like it’s the only thing you can do. There are fewer options when it comes to leather, at least right now.” (Styleite)

Hmmm… perhaps Mr. Gunn, who is very active in fashion indsutry, and a rather knowledgeable man, missed the day that fake leather was launched? Either that, or he is a total hypocrite, using the PETA exposure to further his career and increase his exposure. And what do you think the chances are that he will forfeit wool and leather, when there are better “options”?

And to say that fur is much more “succinct and tangible” is absolutely ridiculous. Sure, a full length mink coat might draw more attention than a pair of leather shoes, however this does mean it is ok to kill cows for shoes, but not minks for coats? I had a lot of respect for Gunn before this event, but now he has proved himself to be very uneducated, or a major HYPOCRITE.

Image source.

Fur Hypocrite: Melanie Rickey

While Melanie Rickey isn’t a household name, she is most definitely an important fashion journalist in the UK, who acts as Fashion Editor-at-large for Grazia magazine (one of the countries most popular fashion magazines.) A few months back she wrote a post (wrote is actually not the correct word here), she regurgitated a letter written to her from PETA. I find it highly distressing that a so-called respected journalist would simply re-copy a letter from a very biased organization, without actually having done any research into the facts.

Melanie Rickey, Grazia's Fashion Editor at Large.

The letter (see the blog post here) stated the usual fur industry lies, and then some, followed by a slew of comments. As expected there were comments of support, but the worst came when she responded to the comments. Here are a few of her utterly hypocritical responses.

“I occasionally eat meat, and do wear wool and leather but that works for me and most people as we wear these animals and it is part of the natural order.”

Hilarious that you can justify wearing some types of dead animals because it “works for you” and is part of a “natural order.” Perhaps Ms Rickey would like to see how the “natural order” works in the North of Canada, where people live off the fur trade, and often eat the meat. This type of inarticulate response is the last thing we would expect from a successful journalist.

When mentioned that the leather trade is, in many cases, worse than the fur trade, Rickey responded with:

“I don’t know enough about the leather industry to comment. I need to know more.”

I’d like to suggest that she do some research, instead of claiming ignorance. I would expect this from a blogger or someone who comments on fur posts with their anti-fur remarks, but for an established journalist to avoid dealing with a topic by simply saying she doesn’t know enough is very sad. Melanie Rickey, you are a fur hypocrite.

Read about more Fur Hypocrites:
Janice Dickinson
Alexandra Shulman and British Vogue

Images sources:
Eskimo image
Catwalk image
Melanie Rickey

Fur Hypocrite: Janice Dickinson

When interviewed for UK magazine Grazia, ex-supermodel Janice Dickinson, talked about the fact that she attends anti-fur rallys. But she later admits to owning and wearing fur:

“I do have to disclose at this point – I’ve had some dead, DEAD! fur in my closet coz I got it from Fendi when I modeled for them, years and years and years ago, and I don’t want to throw it out! I have worn it when I’ve been filming in Russia – but I don’t really wear it unless it’s super cold. So there. You can’t out me for wearing fur sometimes ‘coz I’ve just outed myself!” (Grazia)

So what is the message here Janice? Is it ok to wear fur if it is from Fendi? Or if it is free? Or if it is super cold? But the rest of the time it isn’t? How about admitting it is ok to wear fur AND attend anti-fur rallys, if you are a total hypocrite.

Images from Grazia.

Congratulations to the winner of our vintage mink fur jacket giveaway, Vanessa in Germany will be receiving the coat in the next few days!

Fur Hypocrite: Alexandra Shulman and British Vogue

The first in our “Fur Hypocrite” series, this post features British Vogue and its editor in chief, Alexandra Shulman. I took a look at their “no fur” policy, and found some very interesting…hypocrisies.

Kate Moss, British Vogue's most used cover star, wearing fur.

I was quite surprised to hear that British Vogue had a “no fur” policy for their magazine, considering fur plays a huge role in the luxury fashion world. Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue, claimed in a Telegraph interview earlier this year “We have a no-fur policy, but the odd cuff and collar creep in.” Creep in? Either you have an anti-fur policy, or you don’t.

However, in an interview for the Guardian, Shulman claims “I wear the odd piece of fur; I don’t have strong personal feelings against it, but I would feel uncomfortable swathed in a mink coat. It would seem unnecessary, ostentatious and somewhat unfeeling, though I can’t explain it more than that.” Can’t explain it? Wow, that’s pretty articulate for a Vogue editor.

Prada's spring summer 2011 campaign, featuring fur. British Vogue are happy to take their advertising dollars, isn't that a bit hypocritical?

The article continues to explain “Shulman says that, ‘broadly speaking’, British Vogue does not feature fur, other than fur advertising, which is not in her remit. ‘However, there is an element of common sense to my policy on this which dictates that since we are there to report on fashion trends, if those trends include fur we will, for instance, show catwalk images that include fur. We do carry some skins like sheepskin, and occasionally a fur trim creeps in.'”

I find it incredibly hypocritical that British Vogue would have a so-called “no fur” policy in order to satisfy their animal activist readers, while still including catwalk images that feature fur, to satisfy their advertisers.  Shulman should really do some research into the fur industry, and make an educated statement, rather than “not being able to explain it.” On top of that, she admits she wear fur herself, but it isn’t good enough for her magazine? You can’t have you cake and eat it, Alexandra. Either take a stance against or for fur, by learning some facts. But don’t sit on the fence with a hypocritical policy like this.

Kate Moss image source.