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Top fashion retailers, including Zara, Gap, Top Shop, Banana Republic, Anthropologie, Express, and H&M have all committed to ban the use of mohair in their clothing products after an animal cruelty investigation by PETA. The investigation at 12 goat farms as well as a slaughterhouse in South Africa was done by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA.
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Mohair is made from Angora goats’ hair, and is famed for its softness and widely used in making winter apparel like coats, scarves and sweaters. South Africa produces more than 50% of the world’s mohair. According to the animals’ rights watchdog, the employees ‘worked carelessly and quickly, leaving goats bleeding and cut up.”Investigators said that the animals were often killed after shearing. According to PETA, a worker used a dull knife to cut the throat of conscious goats and even broke their necks in one farm.
Not instantaneous
In a statement to the press, H&M said they were committed to removing mohair from their store shelves. However, they warned that the process won’t be instantaneous and promised to ban mohair by 2020 across all their 4,700 stores.
A spot check at Zara.com confirmed that mohair products, which ranged from $49 to $199 in price, were still on the website. Inditex, the retailer’s parent company, says it will discontinue selling mohair apparel across all its 7 brands by 2020.
Amaya Guillermo, a spokesperson for the company, said they have committed to end sourcing any new goods with mohair.
In a statement to the press, H&M said they were committed to removing mohair from their store shelves. However, they warned that the process won’t be instantaneous and promised to ban mohair by 2020 across all their 4,700 stores.
A spot check at Zara.com confirmed that mohair products, which ranged from $49 to $199 in price, were still on the website. Inditex, the retailer’s parent company, says it will discontinue selling mohair apparel across all its 7 brands by 2020.
Amaya Guillermo, a spokesperson for the company, said they have committed to end sourcing any new goods with mohair.
Fur Free
The pledge to ban mohair comes 5 years after Gap Inc, H&M, Zara and others promised to discontinue selling Angora rabbit after PETA released a video expose’ of Chinese factory workers hand-plucking fur from squeaking rabbits.
Only last year, Gucci banned using animal fur in its products, joining top clothing brands like Michael Kors, Versace and Armani to go ‘fur free.’
The pledge to ban mohair comes 5 years after Gap Inc, H&M, Zara and others promised to discontinue selling Angora rabbit after PETA released a video expose’ of Chinese factory workers hand-plucking fur from squeaking rabbits.
Only last year, Gucci banned using animal fur in its products, joining top clothing brands like Michael Kors, Versace and Armani to go ‘fur free.’
This latest news is another step forward for the fashion industry which has been making big changes over the last couple of years. Gucci, Armani, Versace, and BCBG have all pledged to go fur-free setting a standard for smaller fashion brands to take the hint. Additionally, San Francisco, Berkeley, and West Hollywood have also made it clear that the use of fur is no longer fashion-forward. The demand for cruelty-free fashion continues to grow as consumers become more aware of what really has to happen to make their clothing possible. This demand is being met by ethical fashion brands such as Mat and Nat, Loomstate, Olsenhaus, and Doshi who offer high-end fashion without the cruelty.
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