And the Winner Is...The Animals!

©Patrick McMullan
From top to bottom, the first, second, and third place winners.

On December 19, three young designers launched their fledgling careers, and fur-bearing animals gained new friends in the fashion world—friends who will not use them for fabric. The awards ceremony for the Cool vs. Cruel design contest recognized selected design students for their skill in recreating existing animal-fur fashions with fur-free materials that don't harm animals.

The Cool vs. Cruel contest, custom-tailored by The HSUS's Fur-Free Campaign, gets the next generation of fashion designers thinking about the animals whose pelts are taken for fur. The message was a good fit for many of these design students. Their eyes newly opened to the cruelty of animal fur, several of the contest participants declared a permanent allegiance to cruelty-free design.

 

 

 

The Envelope, Please...

	©Patrick McMullan
	Second and third place winners Jacinta Ligon and Ricardo Auguste, with Auguste's design.

Taking third place, New York's Art Institute student Ricardo Auguste created a beautiful jacket using burgundy faux fur. He based his design on a creation of Jean Paul Gaultier, keeping to the look of the original, but losing the cruel animal fur.

Jacinta Ligon, a student at The Art Institute in Fort Lauderdale, won second place by producing a striking black pleather dress ringed in white faux fur that combined elements of several designs. Thanking the Fur-Free Campaign for her award, Ligon proudly announced that her design career will henceforth be fur-free.

 

©Patrick McMullan
Stephanie Taylor and Bruce Dempsey of The Art Institutes, with Atom Cianfarani and jewelry designer Ariadna Correa.

Rocio Penuelas of the Art Institute of California San Francisco won the first prize for her crocheted collar coat in faux suede. Her creation improved on the original Nina Ricci design by using only compassionate materials. For infusing her creativity with a conscience, Penuelas has been awarded exciting internships at the design houses of Marc Bouwer and Gaelyn & Cianfarani in New York City, with airfare, lodging, and other expenses paid for by The HSUS.

"I'm glad we had the opportunity to do something for all the animals so cruelly used for fur," Penuelas told the Fur-Free Campaign by phone. She also remarked on the effectiveness of the fuzzy crocheted yarn she used in place of animal fur in her creation. Because Penuelas was unable to attend the ceremony in person, Bruce Dempsey of The Art Institutes accepted the first prize award on her behalf.

Famous Names, Famous Faces

©Patrick McMullan
Grant Aleksander and The HSUS's Ann Chynoweth

Joining the winners and their spotlighted fashions were magazine and department store representatives, actors, reporters, and ambitious fashion design students. They packed the house for a glittering evening of food, drink, fun, publicity, and networking in New York's stylish UTOWA store.

A host of stars and entertainers lent their names and talents at the event. Elizabeth Berkley, currently starring in the Broadway production of Hurly Burly, and Grant Aleksander, of CBS's Guiding Light, autographed a Fur-Free Pledge poster. Dan Piraro, author of the comic strip Bizarro, also signed the pledge. Recording artist N'dea Davenport, both singer and animal lover, donated her time as DJ for the event. The star-studded judging panel evaluating the student entries included Berkley, fur-free designer Marc Bouwer, Adrian Grenier star of HBO's Entourage, Atom Cianfarani of Gaelyn & Cianfarani, and Paper Magazine's fashion maven Mickey Boardman.

	©Patrick McMullan
	Wayne Pacelle introduced the judges and the winners.

The Message about the Medium

President and CEO of The HSUS Wayne Pacelle emceed the event, congratulating the winners and reminding the crowd of the 40 million animals killed annually for the fur industry.

"We don't need to wear fur coats in our day and age. Our contest winners show that modern synthetic fabrics are not only warmer than animal fur, but also more glamorous and kinder," he declared.

 

 

©Patrick McMullan
Judge Elizabeth Berkley

Berkley spoke of the fur-free issue as one close to her heart since her childhood, when she first realized how unnecessary and cruel it is to take fur from animals in order to satisfy human vanity. She recalled that as a youngster, when she would see women wearing fur coats in beauty salons, she would slip cards saying, "this fur would look better on its owner" into their pockets. With a passion for the fur issue tucked into her own back pocket, Berkley was especially enthusiastic about her role as a Cool vs. Cruel judge.

 

 

	©Patrick McMullan
	Contest judges Adrian Grenier, Atom Cianfarani, Marc Bouwer, Mickey Boardman and Elizabeth Berkley

 

Cianfarani, last year's winner of The HSUS's Compassion in Fashion award and a judge in the contest, praised Penuelas for creating a beautiful, cruelty-free garment and for making an environmentally friendly choice of fabrics. Famous for unquestionable ethics and creative talent, Cianfarani spoke passionately about a designer's responsibility to know the source of all materials and to avoid purchasing animal skins or fabrics that are harmful to the environment.

©Patrick McMullan
Judges Marc Bouwer and Mickey Boardman

As judge and designer, Bouwer was emphatic that there is no need to use animal fur to create stunning outfits. Bouwer's famous fur-free creations are worn by some of the world's most glamorous women, including Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie, and most recently graced five celebrities at the Emmy Awards.

Paper Magazine's Mickey Boardman, another Cool vs. Cruel judge, approved of the Fur-Free Campaign's approach. "What a great way to get the designers of tomorrow interested in making cruelty-free fashions. It's better than throwing paint on people!"

 

	©Patrick McMullan
	Judge Adrian Grenier

Judge and actor Grenier commented that he was impressed with the talent the up-and-coming designers showed with their submissions to the Cool vs. Cruel contest. He also said that he's eager for their men's lines to become available.

 

 

 

Behind the Success

©Patrick McMullan
Marc Bouwer with The HSUS's Annie Judah, Adrian Grenier and Elizabeth Berkley

Annie Judah, HSUS's Fashion Industry Consultant, greeted attendees, made introductions, and spoke of turning the tide of fashion back to compassion. Taking a moment to sum up the successful event, she said, "We are reaching out to the next generation of fashion designers by promoting positive alternatives to animal fur. The Cool vs. Cruel contest proves that you can look just as glamorous and be just as creative without being indifferent to animal suffering."

	©Patrick McMullan
	Dan Piraro of Bizzaro

A packed house, the proud winners, the publicity for the fur issue—all were satisfying rewards for Judah and other members of the Fur-Free Campaign. Best of all, the compassionate students, with their entire careers in front of them, are learning how glamorous cruelty-free materials can be to work with in their designs.

But with millions of animals depending on them, the Campaign won't be resting on their laurels. With high hopes for the continued fur-free success of the contest winners, Judah and others in the Fur-Free Campaign are already planning next year's contest. They hope to match and exceed this year's triumph with an expanded pool of contestants, as international groups have already expressed interest in participating in the 2006 Cool vs. Cruel contest.

 

 

See the Video

Fur Shame

Spotlight Humane

Cool Versus Cruel Design Competition

Related Links

Fur and Trapping

Fashion Week 2005