Trend: Animal Exploitation Within the Fashion Industry.
Fig 1.
As stated on The Vegan Society’s website, at least 542,000 people in the UK are following a vegan diet. This is a large increase since the last estimate of 150,000 ten years ago. (2016). As a part of vegan lifestyle, alongside altering diets, most vegans also eliminate any animal products in their life, including materials for clothing such as leather, down or fur. This conclusion is supported by research reported by Karin, (2005). In the UK, 52% of people following a vegan lifestyle are aged 16-24 and 26% are aged 25-34, 64% of which are women. This is a significant number compared to people over the age of 55, who only take up 1% of the statistic. Statistics taken from Veganbits.com, (2017). This evidence shows that following a lifestyle that is against animal exploitation is increasingly more popular within a younger demographic such as Generation Y and Generation Z.
Fig 2.
Johnathan Cohen A/W 14 collection. Taken from Pinterest.
Fig. 3
The use of animal fur is commonly used in luxury brands as it as perceived as an opulent material. Despite this, luxury labels such as Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren have stopped including real animal fur or leather in their garments. (Dazed, 2015).
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
A selection of images displaying the use of animal fur in luxury clothing collections.
Fig. 7
Fig. 8: Stella McCartney vegan friendly leather handbag. As an avid environmentalist and vegetarian, fashion designer Stella McCartney is against animal exploitation and is proud of the fact that all the garments in her clothing line do not use leather or fur, only faux. Stella McCartney’s target audience would be women, aged 25-35 within the ABC1 psychographic bracket due to it having premium prices whilst selling on trend chic fashion. This is a strong USP for the brand as this demographic holds the largest percentage for the vegan lifestyle.
Fig. 9
As the vegan lifestyle will grow, so will the demand for animal friendly fashion. Stella McCartney’s pro animal rights brand is highly fashionable and is welcoming the political trends of the new generations, therefore is an instant recipe for success. “They broadened their vision, making Stella McCartney the fashion worlds the first luxury brand with sustainability at its heart”. (Ahmed, 2015). Images displaying Stella McCartney’s vegetarian lifestyle via the instagram page. Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Images displaying PETA’s instagram account and Shrimps A/W 15 collection.. Fig. 12
The UK based charity Peta (The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), has tried every method to get the ethical message across to a larger audience. This includes the shock factor by using naked celebrities such as Naomi Campbell in their 2014 we’d rather go naked than wear fur campaign to creating a largely followed Instagram account to illustrate their messages to the public. (Dazed, 2016.). As stated by Allwood (2015), PETA have also contacted schools such as Central Saint Martins and Parsons School of Design to encourage them to use eco-friendly and animal friendly materials instead of fur and leather. “As future fashion designers, students at Central Saint Martins have a unique opportunity to influence the next generation of consumers by embracing the trend towards cruelty-free fashion,”. (Peta, 2016). Stella McCartney, who is also a supporter of PETA, uses her Instagram account to exhibit her views and promote her brand. Using social media to portray messages about animal exploitation is an efficient and effective way to spread the message to her target audience, who are also pioneers in developing the trend.
Bibliography Fig 1. * Gucci. (2016). Fall/Winter [Photograph]. Retreived from: http://www.tommyton.com/archive/gucci-fall-winter-2016.html#!/media/aw16womengucci2 Fig 2.* Cohen. (2014). RTW Fall [Photograph]. Retreived from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/523543525407936471/ Fig 3.* Mendel. (2015). Spring 2015 - RTW [Photograph]. Retreived from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/366973069614893012/ Fig 4. * Terry Richardson. (1997). Harpers Bazaar USA [photograph]. Retreived from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/475903885609676484/ Fig. 5 * Gucci. (2016). Milan Fashion Week F/W16 [photograph]. Retreived from: http://www.vogue.co.uk/shows/autumn-winter-2016-ready-to-wear/gucci/collection/ Fig 6. * Gucci. (2016). Milan Fashion Week F/W16 [Photograph]. Retreived from: http://www.vogue.co.uk/shows/autumn-winter-2016-ready-to-wear/gucci/collection/ Fig 7.* Balmain. (2014). F/W RTW [photograph]. Retreived from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/475903885609674533/ Fig 8. * Stella McCartney. (2016). One City, One Girl: Shanghai [photograph]. Retreived from: http://www.stellamccartney.com/experience/en/one-city-one-girl-shanghai/ Fig 9. * Stella McCartney, Instagram. (2015). @AmberValletta unveils the new season #NinaBag in our campaign collaboration with #EdRuscha. Oversized with voluminous ruching the eco-friendly Nina combines soft elegance with a modern hardness. [Photograph]. Retreived from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BKtFOgeAWlM/?taken-by=stellamccartney Fig 10.* Stella McCartney, Instagram. (2015). Veg Out with @AmberValletta in new season knitwear with #FurFreeFur paneling. [Photograph]. Retreived from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BIpmKVtAupI/?taken-by=stellamccartney Fig 11.* PETA, instagram. (2016). Top fashion school @ParsonsSchoolOfDesign knows the future of fashion DOESN’T involve animals. Featuring @toddoldham & @thediscerningbrute [Video]. Retreived from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BRd5m1yB7_e/?taken-by=peta&hl=en Karin, M. (2005). Style: Vegan Fabulousness. Rogers Media Inc, 118(3), 54. https://search.proquest.com/docview/218507446/abstract/50D96522A1CF4F8APQ/17?accountid=14620 Vegan Bits. (2017). Vegan Demographics. Vegan Bits. http://veganbits.com/vegan-demographics/ Amed, I. (2016). BOF in Conversation with Stella McCartney. The Business of Fashion. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/video/conversation-stella-mccartney-building-sustainable-luxury-brand?trk_component=ArticleListing&trk_placement=MainColumn&trk_design=SingleColumnWithVariedCards&trk_page=CategoryListing&trk_ source=Recent Allwood, E. (2016). Designers pen anti-fur letter to fashion students. Dazed magazine. http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/33454/1/designers-anti-fur-letter-to-fashion-students-central-saint-martins-peta The Vegan Society (2017). Find Out how many vegans there are in Great Britain. The Vegan Society. https://www.vegansociety.com/whats-new/news/find-out-how-many-vegans-are-great-britain Amed, I. (2015). Stella McCartney: Change Agent. The Business of Fashion. https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/voices/discussions/can-fashion-industry-become-sustainable/stella-mccartney-change-agent