Fur Free SA hosted the first anti-fur fashion show featuring 10 of South Africa’s celebrities and designers.
The fashion show was part of a fur free campaign against the cruel fur trade by showing specific designed outfits that contained no animal products.
According to Fur Free SA, millions of cats, dogs and other fur animals such as fox, raccoon, mink and rabbit are raised for their fur and spend their entire lives in small, barren, filthy cages with no sanitation.
They are subjected to violent handling and inhumane transport before being clubbed, strangled or electrocuted to death. Real fur is used as trims on garments, toys, hair trinkets or as all fur hats, jackets and coats. Animal fur is often mislabeled as faux fur, or under exotic sounding names such as Chat de Chine.
Real fur is often dyed with unnatural colours and sheared, giving it the appearance of faux fur.
Celebrities, who paired up with well-known fashion designers, strutted their legs down the living room and patio at the Jenna Clifford studio. Model Christina Storm was paired up with fashion designer Casper Bosman.
Storm said, “I will never use fur because of the horrific ways in which fur animals live and die.” Singer Louise Carver wore a Vesselina Pentcheva design for the anti-fur fashion show. “I try to stand for non-cruelty in all things. That is why I would never wear fur,” she said.
Jenna Clifford took on a Gert Johan Coetzee dress that dazzled the audience. She is a huge believer in this campaign and believes many people do not realise that the fur trim used in garments often consists of real fur.
This reporter sat down with 5fm DJ Catherine Grenfell and Lunar designer Dominique Gatland.
Lunar carries a philosophy of using natural fabrics, simple silhouettes and clean lines. She designed a dress made out of hemp for Grenfell. “I wanted a natural and sculptural dress for Grenfell that would show off her personality rather than overcrowd her,” said Gatland.
“The dip died shading is the only design element. It is a very classic piece,” she added.
Grenfell looks and feels beautiful in the dress. She said when Gatland showed her some of the fabrics and the hem, she thought “this is it”.
“It is so beautiful and feels so lovely, warm, soft and stretchy when on. I have never felt or worn hemp before, so it’s a new experience,” stated Grenfell. When asked where she sourced the fabric, Gatland said it was “locally grown”.
She commented that hemp is rare in this country. “We face a lot of challenges because there are government licenses you have to get and it is difficult to get around the stigma that it is associated with marijuana,” stated Gatland.
As a fashion designer, Gatland said the project really resonates with her. It is important to think about what we put on our bodies, whose hands the clothes have been through, what process it has is gone through and what it is doing to the environment,” she said.
Details: www.furfree.net
Did you know that fake fur may have real fur in its garment too? Tweet @furfreeSA to ask how to check your faux fur on collars, hats and gloves.
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