Oslo Fashion Week has banned all fur from the runway, Ecouterre reports, becoming the first fashion week that we know of to take such action.
The move was spearheaded by Mote Mot Pels (Fashion Against Fur), "an anti-fur initiative that has received the support of more than 220 Norwegian fashion industry insiders who refuse to work with fur, including designers Leila Hafzi, Thomas Ryen of Undorn, and John Erling Vinnem of JohnnyLove, as well as Norwegian Elle, Norwegian Cosmopolitan, KK, and Det Nye," Ecouterre writes. Care2.com also mentioned the involvement of Norwegian animal rights group NOAH and designer Fam Irvoll.
General Manager of Oslo Fashion Week Paul Vasbotten said, "It has been a very natural choice for us because we do not want [Oslo Fashion Week] to appear as an arena in which to promote products based on the treatment of animals [as] prohibited by animal welfare concerns in several countries."
By contrast, Norway's neighbor Denmark has no plans to keep pelts off the catwalk. Eva Kruse, the CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week told Norwegian Fashion, "We believe that fur is a central part of fashion and we have no plans to ban fur from Copenhagen Fashion Week, adding, "Fur farms are shut down in Norway, the production would just move to other countries like China. Then we will lose all control of how animals are treated."
What do you think?
(Via Refinery29)