Origin Assured

Cruel Fashion

Lauren Milligan

05 October 2009

STELLA MCCARTNEY is perhaps the world's most famous vegetarian (notwithstanding her parents), as well as one of the world's most famous designers - and as such she is always happy to talk about where the two worlds collide. McCartney has always refused to use animal by-products, such as leather, fur and suede, in her collections and finds it hard to understand why other brands are so slow to follow her lead.

"People in fashion just don't want to hear the messages," she said. "I find it astounding, because fashion is supposed to be all about change - I mean, we're supposed to be at the cutting edge! I can only think that they don't care as much as people in other industries. So, yes, I think people in fashion are pretty heartless."

Despite having launched her eponymous label under the wing of the Gucci Group - one of the world's most successful luxury leather goods producers - she never wavered from her principles to allow animal skins in to her collection.

"The greatest luxury of having the parents I had was that it has enabled me not to have to compromise," she told the Guardian of sticking to her guns. "In the back of my mind, I always knew - if this all goes horribly wrong, I'll be alright. That's an option that most people just don't have, financially."

Stella McCartney's spring/summer 2010 took place in Paris this morning.

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I had recently watched a program that was available on Sky that went deep into the fur industry. Minks were bred in cages as they are solitary animals, and were 'put to sleep' using CO2. After they have been stripped of their fur, their meat was used for animal food and the fat used for Biofuel. However, the fur industry in China still practices skinning alive, as well as battering the animal's head. A painful image that to this day stays in my head is of a fox, skinned completely, but still alive, blinking at the camera, no longer wailing. The problem with the industry is that the fur that is sold is auctioned off after being colour coded. So one mink fur coat can have fur from approved fur farms, as well as from China. However, newly introduced is Origin Assured:

The Origin Assured (OA™) label initiative assures consumers that the fur in a garment or fur product that bears an OA™ label comes from a country where local or national regulations or standards governing fur production are in force.

Fur - the natural, responsible choice.