Fashion Lovers Are Animal Friendly

09-04-2008 10:37

A staggering 57% of us consider whether something is animal friendly before we buy it according to a new survey.

This is up from the 48% it was a year ago. Human rights (55%) and protecting the environment (55%) are also considered important issues reveals the survey by the RSPCA.

This news comes hot on the heels of the RSPCA’s anti-fur investigation, 100% Fake, which found two high street chains were selling unlabelled or mislabelled fur.2

David Bowles, RSPCA Head of External Affairs, says: “The fur industry unnecessarily kills 55 million animals a year. Designers and retailers should take note of the growing consumer demand for cruelty-free products and stop using or selling fur. When selling leather or skins retailers should ensure that they are ethically sourced, as a by-product of the meat industry, and labelled clearly so consumers can make their own choices.

“By asking the right questions of their suppliers, retailers can do a great deal to improve animal welfare, while still stocking products which appeal to their customers."

Fashion forward retailers who are already embracing the demand for animal friendly products are being urged to enter this year’s RSPCA Good Business Awards, which recognise ethical business approaches to animal welfare in the fashion, cosmetics and food industries. This follows evidence that consumers are increasingly demanding higher standards in the welfare of the products they buy.

One of the judges3, designer Wayne Hemingway, said: “The fashion industry is still a long way behind the food and cosmetics industries in terms of animal welfare. We would like to see more fashion retailers stand up and respond to the growing consumer concern.