Some top British designers and environmental activists recently wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, urging him to make the United Kingdom the first country in the world to ban the sale of real fur. The designers highlighted their ability to “thrive, without being complicit in the suffering caused by the fur trade” and cited the ‘dwindling demand’ for real fur among UK consumers and retailers.
The activists include Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and Katharine Hamnett and the designers include Christopher Raeburn, Erdem Moralioglu, Helen Moore and Hannah Weiland.Some top British designers and environmental activists recently wrote to PM Boris Johnson, urging him to make the UK the first country to ban the sale of real fur.The designers highlighted their ability to "thrive, without being complicit in the suffering caused by the fur trade" and cited the 'dwindling demand' for real fur among UK consumers and retailers.#
“[We have a] shared belief that fashion, driven by consumers and enabled by innovation, is evolving to make animal fur obsolete, as more and more luxury fashion designers and high street retailers eliminate it from their collections. The majority of U.K. consumers reject animal fur on ethical grounds,” the letter said.
Eliminating real fur from the shop floor should follow the ban on fur farming in the United Kingdom, according to the group, which urged Johnson to follow the state of California in the United States, which banned fur sale in 2019.
The letter also showed support for the ongoing #FurFreeBritain campaign by Humane Society International, an organisation promoting animal rights and urging for a total fur ban.
“If the UK were to become the first country to prohibit the sale of animal fur it would surely only enhance its growing reputation as a global hub for innovation in ethical fashion,” added the letter.
Arguing against the proposed ban, the British Fur Trade Association said a fur ban would be nearly impossible to enforce and would increase the amount of fur from unregulated sources coming into the country.
“The reality of a UK fur ban is that it would punish consumers, legitimate retailers, and those that deal in legal, high-quality sustainable and certified furs whilst putting huge strain on law enforcement,” said the organisation in a briefing report titled ‘How a UK Fur Ban Would Damage and Set Back Animal Welfare’.
The report argues that in case of a ban, much of the trade would simply move to unregulated, untaxed online sources, including those operated by criminal elements.
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