The aim of HSUS's Fur-Free Campaign is to create a culture for compassionate clothing, from the top executives in the fashion industry to the single shopper at the local retail store. Annie Judah, Fashion Industry Liaison at The HSUS, has recently been on assignment with the campaign in Paris, Rome, and London—raising cruelty-free consciousness in the fashion industry and networking with opinion makers.
At Fashion Week, New York's famed fashion event, Judah has gone behind the seams to get an inside look at emerging fall trends, to rub elbows with Big Apple fashionistas, and to make fur-free the most fabulous thing in fashion.
By Annie Judah
Friday, March 17
Between trains to Manhattan and conference calls with Chicago for HSUS's Fur-Free Campaign, there's no time to pack for my trip to L.A. Fashion Week. But with those little indie boutiques and vintage houses that Los Angeles is so famous for, I'm tempted to go with a carry-on and just buy a new wardrobe. Oh, to live like a movie star...
With Marc Jacobs' line of all-cloth beach bags and the romantic, gauzy summer dresses that are being created by...well, just about everyone...it's so easy to dress in designer duds and still be cruelty free. Makes you look at the celebrity photos coming out every day and wonder how people can claim fur is everywhere. I mean, who wore fur to the Oscars or the Academy Awards? Not Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Phillips or Jennifer Garner. Even in the snowy hills of Colorado at the Sundance film festival, Jennifer Aniston was covered in cozy fur-free scarves—no hairy parkas or woolly mammoth boots.
That's one reason I love trips to L.A., and L.A. Fashion Week: movie stars with hearts (like our Cool vs. Cruel judges Adrian Grenier and Elizabeth Berkeley), and coming to see what is hip and new on the catwalks. And this week, I'll be right there to enjoy the show rather than fretting over what might come out next.
Thursday, March 9
Even if you don't have cable and you don't religiously read the fashion magazines, you probably have heard the buzz about Bravo's Project Runway and the first winner Jay McCarroll.
This boy wonder has been making news across the country, dressing the red carpet cuties and sitting front row at most every show since he was crowned the winner of Project Runway. But his superstar cachet isn't what makes us love him—it is his sincere affection for animals and his motivation to make the world a better place through fashion.
Nibbling french fries with Jay at Manhattan's Lucky Strike, it was hard not to be impressed with his consistent activism as well as his outrageous sense of humor. As a designer, Jay understands how important it is to provide animal-friendly options, and he intends to do exactly that with his upcoming line of clothing. Also good news for compassionate fashionistas: he intends for this line to be accessibly affordable.
Wednesday, February 22
The Bravo network knew they had a hit with Jay McCarroll when he won their first season of
Project Runway, hence the creation of the special
Project Jay.
The Project Jay premiere party was an impressive collection of models and celebrities, with some of the biggest new names in the fashion industry, but what impressed me most was Jay's devotion to his dog Willow, a medium-sized mixed breed rescued from a shelter—as well as his devotion to creating clothing that makes you look as good on the outside as you feel on the inside. Jay's cruelty-free creations were everywhere, from the big projected screens to the 6-foot models milling about. It would be great to see more of Jay and his animal-friendly work on this heavily watched fashion network. Please contact Bravo and let them know "we love Jay!"
Speaking with a reporter at a party, I learned about how the press has been following Jay's every move. Even while in the spotlight, Jay kindly took the time to talk with me about how animals are suffering for misguided fashion statements. He told me he would check out www.furtrim.com (warning: graphic images!) and look into how animals used by the fur industry suffer.
He was as outraged as most people are when they learn about the cruelty. I know I was.
Friday, February 10
New York is the self-proclaimed fashion capitol of the world, and Fashion Week is the time for the fashion elite to strut their stuff. Talking in the tents with some of the biggest names in the industry is exciting and fun, but we were not there to play...too much. The contacts we made during this week are just the beginning of our advocacy for the animals exploited and killed for fashion, targeting the decision makers who can make a huge difference for furbearing animals.
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| The HSUS's Annie Judah prefers chinchilla on the hoof. |
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You never know who you will meet in the Fashion Week Daily suite. One night the room may be buzzing with boutique owners and restaurateurs, and the next night former Style Me! contestants are chatting up entertainment lawyers.
And what were they wearing this week?
Although the perfume was expensive, the shoes Italian, and the crowd chicer than most, I saw many more slimming trench coats and soft woven wraps than those frivolously cruel furs. Men and women with class know that what they wear defines them, and they seemed drawn to the more flattering fitted jackets than the needlessly cruel animal fur garments.
On the train back to DC and our campaign headquarters, there are no soy mochas to ease the pain of toes crushed in fashionable footwear during this whirlwind week. Making do with iced teas and McVeggie burgers, we're already getting ready for Fashion Week in Los Angeles, and planning my next trip back to New York. With shows every day this week, and with so many follow up meetings with the fashion elite and overdue lunch dates, I think I might have time to do some laundry before I'm on the train back up...or maybe I'll just soak my feet and wear something else.
Thursday, February 9
I have found the perfect way to wear mink to Fashion Week.
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Trunkt |
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If you must wear mink, glass mink cufflinks from Happy Owl are the way to go. |
These cufflinks are blue glass and are not only hip, but unique as well. Cufflinks aren't just for boys anymore. With a pair of scissors you can class up the sleeves of any button-up blouse with these little conversation pieces. It is a great, non-confrontational way to say you're fur free!
"The designer Tracy Bull is an amazing artisan and her glass work is a real love letter to the natural world," said Ayesha Ahmad, the president of Trunkt.
Trunkt is a community of small, independent designers from around the world. Until their Soho store opens in a few weeks, Trunkt designers sell their creations online at www.trunkt.com.
Be sure to also check out Helen Riegle's eco- and animal-friendly handbags as well. Her spring/summer '06 collection is made from American-grown, 100% organic cotton with low-impact dye and an eco-wax finish; they really are too shockingly hip to pass up.
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Cruelty-Free Feet Work Fashion Week |
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These darling pleather sweeties get more compliments and stares than any other shoes I wear and are 100% cruelty free (to the animals, anyway). So I forgive these less than walking-friendly 6-inch heels that are killing me softly. |
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Tuesday, February 7
Since we sponsored his fashion show in 2004, animal-friendly fashion designer Benjamin Cho has continued to produce striking clothes, including beautiful high-end wedding dresses and art house t-shirts. Besides being a leading talent in the New York Fashion scene, he's also very loyal to the animals and to being fur free. We had too much fun with him and laughed so hard during tea we lost track of time and had to literally run uptown to meet eco-stylist Danny Seo. On his show Simply Green, Danny Seo offers everyday tips to living a more compassionate and eco-chic life. As a long-time friend to fur bearing animals and The HSUS, his expert advice not only helps his fans, but the animals exploited for fashion as well.
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Designer Benjamin Cho and Annie Judah at Fashion Week. |
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Heatherette was the last show of the night. No one would ever miss this show, so getting there early was key. Seeing all the tall shiny wigs and platform shoes reminded me that I am not the only one with vicious shoes. At least no one else suffered for my fashion choice. I wish I could say the same about all those grandmother mink stoles we saw thrown on that night to add a dash of vintage to an outfit—too bad the smell of mothballs reminded us more of basements than grand ballrooms.
Heatherette lived up to their reputation with crazy tap dancing and wraparound hoodies. The room was packed, and although these crazy clubbers have used rabbit fur in the past, they are not opposed to using faux.
The best artists are those who are not only creative but keep an open mind. I think we're going to continue to be impressed with what those Heatherette kids come up with next.
Monday Feb. 6
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| Phillip Bloch of Style Me! fame and Annie Judah. |
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Betsy Johnson's skirts stayed notoriously short. Splashes of color or glitter kept everything youthful and fun. Even the original supermodel Janice Dickinson and celebrity stylist
Philip Bloch were dancing away to the Motown and Madonna that filled the room with a vivacity Johnson has become famous for—the kind of positive feeling that can only be captured with a cruelty-free show. That's right, the sweeties with their beehives and strappy sandals were wearing only faux as they strutted down the runway. There was no signature cartwheel at the end, but the soon-to-be grandmother Betsy Johnson did get a standing ovation for her amazing show.
Later, Phillip Bloch, who is the charming gentleman his on-screen persona would suggest, said he was going to cut the sleeves off his "Compassion is my Fashion" t-shirt. We thanked him for pointing out to the contestants of his show Style Me! that most celebrities stay away from wearing real animal fur because it is so controversial. In turn, he thanked us for remembering the good things he's done. He promised to do his best for the animals and be fur free.
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| Faux karakul bolero jacket by Andrea Victor |
Sunday, February 5
Show after show, the trends for fall are consistent. Somber colors and loose feminine bows are good investments when the weather turns colder. The draped Grecian goddess look will also be popular this fall.
But that's not the end of the Stella McCartney influence. After steeling myself for a rash of furs at Fashion Week in New York, I find the infamous fall pelts mercifully scarce. There are more fitted trench coats and bolero jackets than anything else. The outerwear looks are trending more towards the slimming and elegant than the fuzzy, full looks that the Fur Council pushes.
Even Badgely Mischka, notorious for over-the-top fur creations, is shearing their mink to make it look like velvet. One can't help but wonder if those in the stands have taken notice: the fuzzy look is a passing fad.
I could almost muster up some embarrassment for the fur wearers, if their fashion mistakes weren't killing an estimated 50 million animals a year in some of the most nightmarish ways possible.
Saturday, February 4
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Annie Judah with Robert Verdi, E!'s "Chief of Chic" |
It was a whirlwind day campaigning for fur-free fashion at Fashion Week in New York.
E!'s Fashion Police host Robert Verdi took one of our "Compassion is my fashion" t-shirts. We made plans with this fashion insider to meet soon and discuss The HSUS's positive approach to promoting animal friendly fashion.
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| The HSUS's Pierre Grzybowski and Paper Magazine's Mickey Boardman |
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Our favorite fashion deity "Mr. Mickey" Boardman immediately put on his new t-shirt. After the Alexandre Herchcovitch show, we thanked him and
Paper Magazine for the full page ad we'll have in next month's issue to raise fur-free consciousness in the fashion world. You know it's cool to be compassionate when Mr. Mickey is one of your most avid allies. Not only is he a demi-god of hip on the fashion front, but to anyone who cares about animals, he is also a patron saint for encouraging cruelty-free alternatives.
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Patrick McDonald and The HSUS's "Compassion is my fashion" t-shirt |
Fashion writer and fashionista extrordinaire Patrick McDonald and I discussed the ways he could wear his new HSUS t-shirt—like under a velvet vest or on his next vacation to the beach. This sweetheart couldn't have been more charming as he thought up ways to wear our message of kindness.
The VH1 crew then spread the word about our conscience-cool shirts. Before we knew it, we had run out of t-shirts.
The shows were exciting, too. I was relieved at the avoidance of animal fur, and up-and-coming designer Andrea Victor had some of the most realistic faux Persian lamb fabric that I have ever seen (pictured at top right). I was impressed at the effort the designer has made to keep her label off a product as unthinkably cruel as Persian lamb, a.k.a. karakul or broadtail. Victor proves that you can be stylish without being heartless.
Friday, February 3
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| Annie Judah and Project Runway's Jay McCarroll |
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Between a quick stop by the Heatherette studio to pick up tickets, and chatting up Project Runway's
Jay McCarroll on the street, my side hurts from the constant bustle and laughing at high-energy hijinks. Fashion Week has begun. Bring on the late nights, soy mochas, and kisses for each cheek—we're ready!
I'm thrilled to meet designers like Jay McCarroll. He is wildly popular as an emerging talent and as a personality as well. People just love him and swear their undying affection. We love him, too, because he is so outspoken about his concern for animals. When he won Project Runway, he skyrocketed into fame, but he never forgot how cruel and unnecessary it is to use real animal fur.
Along with the rest of the world, we are holding our breath to see Jay's next project. Even as we talked on the street, the paparazzi couldn't keep their lenses and flash bulbs off McCarroll. It is always gratifying when an animal lover makes it big.
Thursday, February 2
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The HSUS |
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Annie Judah and Pierre Grzybowski covering Fashion Week for The HSUS |
It seems like only yesterday that we were trotting around Manhattan at the
last Olympus Fashion Week, but since then, the Fur-Free Campaign has covered a lot of ground elsewhere.
Thank heaven for street chic or I never would have survived Europe, pounding the pavements of Paris and Rome in my Converses. I also prowled London to lunch with the ladies at Cosmo UK and visited animal-friendly fashion studios like Blow.
At the Fur Free Alliance meeting in Rome I learned more about the European activists' amazing success in removing fur from department stores and closing fur farms. During down time, we wandered among the ruins and discussed strategies and campaigns.
The Cool vs. Cruel fashion design student contest wrapped up less than a month later. With our celebrity judges Marc Bouwer, Gaelyn and Cianfarani, Mickey Boardman, Elizabeth Berkley, and Adrian Grenier contributing their expertise and guidance—and in Marc Bouwer's case, several bolts of faux fur—our first Cool vs. Cruel contest was a huge success. The students from the Art Institutes made garments that were cruelty free and so creative it was hard to believe that these garments hadn't been designed by seasoned pros.
Walking home after the Cool vs. Cruel awards ceremony, I stopped in a Soho shoe store and, thinking then of all of the good we could do spreading fur-free culture at the next Fashion Week, I nabbed the black pleather boots that I am wearing now.
Annie Judah is Fashion Industry Liason at The HSUS. To contact The HSUS's Fur-Free Campaign, please use our e-mail contact form.
Fashion Week 2005
