Aussie fashion powerhouse Kym Ellery has joined a growing list of local designers and retailers – from David Jones, Nicola Finetti, Camilla Franks and Scanlan Theodore to Myer, OneTeaspoon and Ginger & Smart – committed to going 100% fur-free.
Her eponymous label Ellery will no longer use animal fur as of mid-2017, a statement confirmed to PEDESTRIAN.TV, while current designs featuring pelts have already been withdrawn from its online and retail stores.
The announcement follows pretty hefty backlash from animal rights activists angered by fox and rabbit fur pieces from the Perth designer’s pre-fall 2016 collection (for the record, Kym insists all pelts were sourced through a strictly government-regulated and certified ethical supply chain based out of Finland), which showed in Paris to great critical acclaim earlier this year.
PETA Australia last week launched a petition imploring Ellery to stop its “continued support of an industry that skins live animals such foxes, minks, and raccoons”, with an estimated 60,000 supporters and affiliates signing a petition / bombarding Ellery’s social media channels with anti-fur messages via the hashtag #FurIsDead.
“By banning fur from future collections, Ellery has done the right thing for animals and consumers,” says a stoked Ashley Fruno, PETA Australia’s Associate Director of Campaigns.
Here’s a happy bunny enjoying a neck rub in celebration.
Photo: Getty / Lorenzo Palizzolo.
