Tell Chie Imai That Fur's Not Green
In a misguided attempt to attach the "eco-friendly" tag to her designs, Japanese designer Chie Imai has dubbed one of her recent collections of fur-trimmed capes and boleros Eco Harmony. Yet the trim isn't faux—it's chinchilla and mink.
Chie touts her designs as causing no pollution and says that fur "returns to the earth." But fur garments are treated with a cocktail of chemicals to keep them from decomposing, making fur a product that is definitely not biodegradable, not to mention the waste produced in the farming and treating process. The amount of energy needed to produce a real fur coat is approximately 15 to 20 times greater than that needed to produce a stylish faux alternative.
China's fur farms
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And of course, you can't be concerned about the environment without caring about our fellow inhabitants: animals. Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives exposed to all weather conditions in cramped, filthy wire cages. They suffer miserable lives and horrific deaths. Fur farmers use the cheapest and cruelest killing methods—including suffocation, electrocution, gassing, and poisoning. These methods aren't always effective, and sometimes animals are still conscious when they are skinned.
Please use the form below to send an e-mail to Chie telling her that fur is not green and ask that she follow the lead of top designers who refuse to use fur in their designs.
Personalized letters always work best. Feel free to use the provided text, but your message will carry more weight if you write your own customized message and subject line.
