According to figures released by International Fur Federation the fur trade industry is worth more than $40 billion – approximately £24 billion. Roughly the same amount as the global Wi-Fi market, the startling figures show just how popular the material still is despite PETA and other charity organisations encouraging fashionistas to buy faux fur counterparts.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the emotions that the business can generate, but the truth is that the fur trade is an economic cornerstone in Europe and beyond,” International Fur Federation CEO Mark Oaten told The Telegraph. “Much of the fashion and increasingly the soft furnishings world relies on fur – and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”
The sale of fur products is estimated at $35.8 billion, where as farming is valued at $7.8 billion. In total the industry is said to employ over one million people, with fur making a massive come-back on the catwalk during recent seasons.
A hearty favourite of Italian fashion houses, this time round we’ve seen designers from across the globe embrace it – including Christopher Kane, Roksanda Ilincic and Lanvin.
“The proponents of the slave trade and child labour also used to try to justify their abuses by arguing that they make money, and the fur industry’s making the same pathetic attempt,” PETA told British Vogue.
“No matter what the industry has to say for itself, ripping the fur from animals who did not want to die just for a coat can never be defensible. The fur industry is built on killing beautiful animals through gassing, electrocution, stomping on their heads and other cruel methods, and so it has had to rely on tricks such as dyeing fur, sneaking it into collars and cuffs and giving it away to designers and students in order to promote it.”
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