Why Are These Models at London Fashion Week Wearing Gas Masks?
It may not be 2016’s hottest new look, but this trio of models wearing gas masks (and little else) certainly turned heads this morning at the opening of London Fashion Week.
Their bizarre get-up drew attention to a little-known fact about wearing fur – that it can be bad for your health, because of the potentially carcinogenic chemicals often used to prevent it from rotting like the dead body part that it is.
A recent study conducted in Germany documented unsafe levels of toxic chemicals in fur-trimmed children’s clothing sold by several brands, including Canada Goose, Nickelson, Airforce and Woolrich. Tests on the raccoon-dog and coyote fur used in these jackets revealed that they contain large quantities of toxic substances, particularly formaldehyde – which can cause allergic reactions and is considered a carcinogen – and ethoxylates, which are known to be disruptive to hormone production and reproductive organs.
Of course, an even better reason to shun fur is to prevent cruelty. Animals on fur farms are driven insane by boredom and frustration in their filthy wire cages before being killed for their skins. The gas masks used in this protest are also a reminder of how so many of them are murdered by being shoved into a box and poisoned with noxious fumes.
With sustainable, ethical fashion on the rise, it’s clear that grisly, archaic fur has no place on the catwalk in 2016 – or in any modern consumer’s wardrobe. More and more designers are choosing animal-free fabrics, while we know that the overwhelming majority of British shoppers would never buy or wear real fur.
Still, a minority of heartless retailers continue to sell fur and profit from animals’ suffering. Please speak out wherever you see toxic fur on sale, and join our campaigns to get these companies to go fur-free.
