Reported and Produced by Nidhi Prakash
Strong global sales put fur industry back on the agenda from Pavement Pieces on Vimeo.
Fur may be experiencing something of a resurgence globally, with the industry worth over $15 billion and showing growth in the last two years.
The U.S. industry has had a stronger season so far this year than last year according to industry body FICA (Fur Information Council of America). The winter fashion runways in London, Paris and New York all featured more fur than in previous years.
While a lot of the demand is being driven by Chinese and Russian markets, local retailers also say they’re seeing a younger clientele who are influenced by fashion shows and want both new and re – tailored products.
But the ethics of wearing fur is still an issue. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released a video they say was captured in a Chinese Angora rabbit fur farm. The gruesome video recently made its way around Twitter and Facebook, and reopened the discussion on animal cruelty in the fur industry.
While the fervent anti- fur campaigns of the nineties might be over, this contentious industry is still under scrutiny – and still attracting plenty of clients.
