We are so used to fighting against the use of cow hide and fox fur in fashion that we don’t always realise other animals are also being cruelly treated in the name of the latest trends. One of these is kangaroos.
Recently, Gucci displayed loafers for men and women that contain kangaroo fur on them in their 2015 Fall/Winter runway show and these shoes are already available in various retail outlets. People were up in arms, and not just because they say the footwear looked ugly or due to their approximate $1000 price tag. Concerns were raised about how the fur was sourced and if this was done ethically.
Ethically Sourced But Still Unfair
After the outrage, Gucci declared that they have been making use of environmentally friendly wild Australian kangaroo fur. This means that they consider the fur to be sustainable. The Australian government regulates kangaroo hunting (or harvesting) that takes surveys of animal populations into account. Even though some say kangaroo numbers are in decline recent reports state that they are in fact exploding, but whether or not this is true is not the point here. It’s simply not right to kill these animals. As Daniel Ramp from the Centre for Compassionate Conservation at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, has stated, ‘The killing of these animals is inhumane, there is collateral damage and kangaroo culling has a large social cost on the remaining kangaroo families and their young.’
The Ugly Side of Fashion
Sadly, the use of kangaroo skin and fur in fashion is not a new trend. The animals are killed every year so that their skins can be used to make soccer shoes, sporting goods, and other fashion accessories like wallets and bags. In 2007, an article stated that 3 million kangaroo skins were reportedly said to be exported by Australia. This is worth nearly $20 million and these skins have been used by other big name brands, such as Adidas, Puma and Nike. Methods to kill kangaroos are often cruel, and PETA reports that injured kangaroos or orphaned joeys are hit sharply on the head or decapitated.
Let’s remember Stella McCartney’s statement from a few years ago when she said that there is no excuse for fur or leather in today’s age, and let’s stick to it. If brands won’t, then we should by avoiding their products.
Image credit: Poulsons Photography / Dollar Photo Club
