While progressive cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Berkeley have already implemented a ban on fur, last Friday a law was passed in California that bans the sales of new fur clothing and accessories statewide. The new law gives hope to animal welfare; however, it does not ban the circulation of already made fur items or prohibit anyone from buying in another state. The law specifies fur to be “animal skin or part thereof with hair, fleece or fur fibers” but exceptions have been made for cowhide, deerskin, sheepskin, goatskin, and religious/cultural purposes. The fine for breaking the law is quite low in my opinion for retailors: $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for subsequent offenses.
How will this impact the fashion trends? Well, fur actually has been cancelled by many designer bands including Gucci, Coach, Prada, and Versace. Gucci even had a no fur campaign launched in 2018! According to the Times’ article on the ban, fur accounted for a tiny percentage (less than 1%) of California’s revenue. With the top designer brands jumping on the no-fur grind, there has been a decrease in fur in the mainstream market. Faux fur has become more popular recently as inhumane process behind the fur coat industry has come to light. Even more so, vintage and sustainable clothing choices have become trendier. Fashion seems to be shifting to a more aware and conscious industry. As animal rights movements have grown more popular, companies like ASOS have abided even banning the use of silk, down, and feathers. Fur seems to be a first step in the fight to eventually limit all animal products. On the flip side, while fur might not be trending, cheetah and other animal prints have become increasingly popular over the past year. While the humanitarian movement to shy away from animal skins has gained more traction over the years, there still is pushback from the fashion industry. The most important thing to remember is that ultimately as consumers we can control the market! Buy sustainably! Think of the animals!