Free the foxes
Norrback's autumn collection with wild fox patter reminded us of the often forgotten side of clothes and fashion industry. The animals.
Most of the world’s farmed fur is produced by European farmers. There are 6,000 fur farms in the EU. The EU accounts for 63% of global mink production and 70% of fox production. Denmark is the leading mink-producing country, accounting for approximately 28% of world production. Other major producers include China, the Netherlands, the Baltic States, and the U.S.
Demand fell in the late 1980s and 1990s because of a number of factors, including the failure of designers to come up with exciting new lines, and also the efforts of animal rights campaigners. Since the turn of the millennium, however, sales worldwide have soared to record highs, fuelled by radically new techniques for working with fur, and a sharp rise in disposable income in China and Russia.
80 percent of the fur clothing industry's pelts come from animals raised on farms. And in the farms it is not nice. The animals have no activities, not space, no opportunity to live a life according to the needs of the species.
Each year on fur farms worldwide more than 50 million wild animals get raised under torturous conditions and killed for their fur, by anal electrocution (foxes) or gassing (minks), or even skinned alive.
So let us keep the foxes alive and inspire the fashion, rather than to be used cruelly by fashion.
Fake fur coat and Fox dress by Norrback