Fashion
Kors Fur Causes Fury

The fur flew at fashion designer/"Project Runway" host Michael Kors' Spring 2008 Bryant Park fashion show, when a group called NYC Animal Rights staged a peaceful protest, crying wolf on his use of fur. *Ahoooooooooo!*

Earlier this year, Kors was cited by the Humane Society of the United States for using dog fur in some of his designs. Since March, Kors has discontinued his use of dog fur, but still uses rabbit and broadtail fur.

His spring collection didn't contain fur pieces, but, said Santos Lopez, founder of NYC Animal Rights, "The animals that will be used in his fall collection are already suffering in cages, and we only get a chance to speak to him twice a year. I don't want to look like we're bullying people, but these designers are celebrating the deaths of animals."

Billy Daley, Michael Kors' Vice President of Global Communications, had no comment on the protest.

Tags: michael kors, MichaelKors

Relevant Posts

Reader Comments

(Page 4 of 5) Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

46. hey peeps are you all whinning cause you dont have a fur coat to wear on those cold lonely nights? get a life, get a cause, how about moving your whinny butts to some third world country and help all of those starving kids with no shoes or clothes to wear. Hey give em fur to wear and when we slaughter those animals all locked up in cages for the fur you can give those kiddies the meat to eat.. Have some style and wear a mink

Posted at 11:12PM on Sep 10th 2007 by wendy

47. Wendy you are a superficial cold hearted idiot. Why don't you learn how to spell? It's whiney not whinny. Not only are you a materialistic jerk but you are stupid too! Get a clue, will ya?

Posted at 11:21PM on Sep 10th 2007 by please open your eyes and your hearts.

48. I'm glad they protested. He's not that great of a designer anyway. He's a trend follower - hardly original with little soul. They should also protest Beyonce and Sean Jean - they continue to use the same barbaric Chinese dog fur...and refuse to comment on it!

Posted at 11:25PM on Sep 10th 2007 by acicatt

49. #9...thank you for taking the time to acknowledge a person like Sammy with such a limited level of compassion and understanding. I hope that you have enlightened him in some way & that he can learn to focus his energies on something positive instead of being hateful & critizing others for doing what he is unable to.

Posted at 12:38AM on Sep 11th 2007 by angela

50. Lets stay on topic people.... Majority of people I know who support animal rights and welfare do support groups that protest against injustice to any one. .. Animals are skinned alive for fashion, someone has to speak up for those that can't,they don't have choice. Funny how the animal used for fur is worth more dead than alive.

Posted at 2:21AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Ellen

51. To clarify....the first Sandy to post is Not the same Sandy that posted #49. I wouldn't do that to you...I won't look, it's too horrific. I've seen enough of that growing up and wouldn't wish it on or intentionally expose anyone to the vulgarity and inhumanity of it. I trust your intelligence without reducing anyone or afflicting anyone with that....
Sandy

Posted at 3:46AM on Sep 11th 2007 by sandy

52. Let's make coat out of Michael Kors!

Posted at 7:43AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Grizzly Adams

53. I eat meat, I have a dog and a cat, I live out in the country just down the road from my parents house where I grew up, I do not wear fur - real or imitation!
HOWEVER, I was raised by a trapper, I went with my Daddy almost every day to check his various trap lines. We trapped muskrat, beaver, mink, fox, bobcat, bear, raccoon, etc. We also carried a rifle and hunted deer. We were raised on deer meat - beef and ham was a rare treat in our house. When I was real small he would carry me on his back in the same basket with the dead animals. As I got older he taught me how to skin the muskrats and the beavers, I thought it was cool how you pulled off the muskrat's fur like removing a sock so that it ends up inside out, then popping out the two front legs. I would help him stretch the pelts on the boards and scrape off the fat. I would also help remove the dried pelts from the boards and bag them up to send to the auction every year. My son's help him do this same thing today.
My father made a good living doing this, he built our home and garage from fur money, he bought trucks, a tractor, and a four wheeler. This was how my brother and I were raised. The time spent with my father walking through the woods was absolutely priceless. He taught me to respect nature, to enjoy the woods and the sounds around me. He also taught me to work hard and not be afraid to get your hands dirty doing it.
I want you all to know that a lot of that fur comes from hard working men that are simply providng a home and a good life for their families - not just fur farms.
My father still traps fur today, he also still hunts deer and fishes eels!
This is how grew up and I wanted to share it with you.

P.S. I f I could go back, I wouldn't want it any other way!!

Posted at 7:50AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Jennifer in Canada

54. Ok first of all the whole animal rights people can take a hike. There against everything, from buying a puppy from a breeder,(they think you should buy everything from shelters) animal research, (so that you and I can actually live longer) there against every kind of drug ex: Tylenol, IB prof, Advil, etc, they dont eat meat (umm your body needs meat were carnivors) and they dont know ANYTHING that is actually going on behind closed doors. Animals are not suffering in cages. They get the appropriate attention, love and care that they possibly can have. They get fed, changed everyday, twice a day usually, have water and can be let out of there cages. So scew you animal activists PETA SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 8:13AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Animal Rights can shove it

56. Bobo
you need to get out more if you think only rappers and Jlo wear fur!! Leave the trailer park and go to a nice restaurant, not Burger King where your family works but one that requires reservations!!!!!! Save the animals!!!!!!!!!!
peace

Posted at 8:57AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Tyla

57. I'm not saying what he's doing is right... but is bullying and sabotaging people EVERY TIME you find out they used or wore fur ok? No, it's not.

As far as I know, it's still legal to use fur. Everybody has their own vision and opinion, and other people should respect that. There's no need for extremist behavior and hatred.

Posted at 9:22AM on Sep 11th 2007 by mayra

58. Those animals right folks are no more than spoiled urbanites that never knew a time when heat and electricity wasn't piped right to their doorsteps. Yea, go to Siberia and tell those people not to wear fur. Better leave that gore-tex at home because it won't quite cut it there - hopefully one of the locals will be gracious enough to lend you a fur garment so you won't get frostbite as you lecture them on animal cruelty .

Fur is carbon neutral. Poly fibers are not!

It will be interesting to see what PETA members wear during the upcoming ice age.

Posted at 2:23PM on Sep 11th 2007 by Billy Y

59. Mayra, holding a peaceful protest is neither "bullying," or "extremist."
It's called exercising your constitutional right of freedom of speech. You see Mayra, when you're lucky enough to live in a democracy, you are given the freedom to speak out against injustices in society. Ever hear of the civil rights movement or the womens rights movement?
Was Martin Luther King a "bully" and extremist because he wasn't afraid to speak out and demand the end of oppression of black people in society? What about the slavery abolitionists, who demanded the end of slavery? Of course not, they are considered heros. It takes courage to go against the status quo and speak out.
Also, let's all remember that slavery, the subjegation of women and children, and forced child labor were all LEGAL not so long ago in this country. Legality has nothing to do with morality. Look back in history at all the great social justice movements, and you will se a minority of courageous, compassionate people that had to endure hatred and anger from many people in society that did not want to change the behaviors and actions being critcized by the activists.

One of my favorite quotes:
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
-- Margaret Mead (1901-1978)
US Anthropologist, Author

Posted at 10:26AM on Sep 11th 2007 by nycactivist

60. why kill animals for their fur?? they need their fur. I do eat meat but I dont waste their bodies.....NO KILL FOR FUR!!!!!!!

Posted at 12:35PM on Sep 11th 2007 by goldgirl

Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments