Despite 70 degree weather year round, the people of West Hollywood love their fur — kind of. In a move that sparked controversy among fashionistas everywhere, the city banned the sale of fur in a 3 to 1 city council vote last month.
While People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and its supporters are celebrating the ban, which is effective beginning September 2013, others such as shoppers and retailers are beginning to wonder what the city will ban next.
Though some retailers along the high end Melrose Avenue have already voluntarily stopped selling fur, others, such as John Varvatos, are considering relocating in order to avoid the ban. Other animal products such as leather will remain legal in the area.
The anti-fur campaign has made an impact on the fashion world. While many consider fur to be an integral part of fashion — after all, it’s a luxury item and isn’t exclusivity a part of what makes high fashion, high fashion? — other designers including Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren no longer use fur in their collections. Even high street brands such as Free People opt for vegan leather and faux fur over its authentic counterparts.
Whether or not fur is available for purchase is up to consumers in a free market. Lindsay Lebby, the director of Arcade, a boutique on Melrose Avenue, says that fur has been around as long as fashion has, and its availability depends on market demands.
“If the customers in the city of West Hollywood did not buy fur, then the stores wouldn’t stock it,” she explains. “We sell what the customers demand.”
Banning the sale of any given product gives rise to questions concerning how else the government will attempt to impose its regulations on its people. A message of anti-violence is never an unwelcome one, but a forceful ban is not the method through which such a message — or any message — should be carried.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/fashion/retailers-cool-to-ban-on-fur-s…
http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2011/11/west-hollywood-banned-fur-sales.html