The Fashion Revolution is a great global activism movement with one shortcoming; they refrain from addressing that living individuals are farmed as if they are crops – so we can turn their skin into a fashion statement. @fash_rev, It is time to start asking: “Who’s in my clothes?”.
No one wants to think about the fact that their leather jacket used to be someone’s skin or that it is filled with feathers ripped out of a possible living goose. However, we would like to believe that the Fashion Revolution is not afraid to make a bold “fashion” statement. The fact that there is absolutely no necessity to use animal-derived products makes it nothing more but cruel. There are plenty of sustainable plant-based alternatives for us to choose from.
Leather and fur production has serious implications for animal welfare. Leather is often described as a by-product of animal slaughter for meat, but it is a different story in reality. The selling of skins can be very profitable for farmers. Leather is seen as a resource, and the individuals behind the skin are objectified and forgotten. It is estimated that over one billion animals are slaughtered for their skin worldwide every year. There is no sustainable and ethical way to source from an animal. All animals are conscious beings that value their own life more than we value our fashion items.
As emphasised before, we believe that the Fashion Revolution is a great movement. Suppose anyone wants to learn more about the social and environmental impact of the fashion industry. In that case, we highly recommend following their free online course: “Fashion’s Future and the Sustainable Development Goals”. They teach you to be curious, do research, and speak up by calling out fashion brands. They promote this with their campaign “Who made my clothes?” and “Who made my fabric?”, which is kind of what we are asking for right now. We want to ask the Fashion Revolution to value all living beings and the planet over money.
Read our article to learn more about the impact of leather on animal welfare.
