Donna Karan is making herself known as the pendulum that can’t stop swinging in the fashion world. She used fur in previous clothing collections and after pressure from animal rights groups like PETA, agreed to remove it from her 2009 line.

However, she’s back again with designs that incorporate rabbit fur, so PETA used the opportunity to protest outside the location of a fundraiser Karan hosted with Michelle Obama, who won’t be wearing any items from the collection. Dan Matthews, senior VP of PETA was quoted by The Gothamist as saying, “We think Donna Karan should take a fashion tip from the first lady, who has officially announced that she is fur-free.”

According to the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade, there are two main types of rabbits used for fur, the Rex and New Zealand White (or California White).

All breeds used for fur are kept in wire cages with little room to hop, stretch or move otherwise and may develop spine deformities from being kept in such conditions.

Undercover investigations in both China and Europe, two countries that export rabbit fur and where Giorgio Armani sources rabbit fur from have revealed slaughter practices that involve rabbits being hit with sticks, having throats slit, being stunned with electrical devices and being left to bleed for some time before death.

A video of one investigation by PETA can be viewed here.

Possibly Related Posts: