Jay McCarroll and The HSUS Make a Bold Fur-Free Statement on the Runway

Jay McCarroll signs the Fur-Free Pledge before the show.  HSUS Fashion Industry Liaison Annie Judah looks on. (HSUS/Grzybowski)  PLAY THE VIDEO »

By Loren Drummond

New York's Olympus Fashion Week closed Sept. 15 to the jam-packed finale of fur-free designer Jay McCarroll's spring line exploding onto the runway, marking a new chapter for the fashion industry and animal protection.

The response to McCarroll's show—which was sponsored by The HSUS and attended by more than 500 people—confirmed that change is afoot in fashion. The standing-room-only audience was made up of celebrities, designers, fashion reporters and several "Project Runway" contestants. About half the crowd could be seen sporting The HSUS' "No Fur" buttons.

Fashion Institute of Technology instructor Barbara Berman called the partnership between McCarroll and The HSUS "brilliant," and acknowledged a growing awareness among her fashion students about the cruel treatment of animals who are killed to make fur garments. She also sees a desire among her students to be taken seriously by the industry and consumers. A genuine fur-free commitment speaks to consumers who are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and social responsibility.

McCarroll designed his show TRANSPORT, a bold, edgy mix of color and accessible design, with animals in mind. The 30 modern looks did not use any fur or leather, and even included a few duck- and chicken-shaped accessories in homage. "I've never even thought of fur as a material," said the designer. "I want to eliminate fur from people's repertoire by educating them about the cruelty of the fur industry."

McCarroll has good reason for rejecting fur. Each year, tens of millions of animals, including dogs and cats, needlessly suffer and die to fuel the fur industry. Many, perhaps more than half, of those animals die specifically for fur trim, which many designers and consumers mistakenly believe is a byproduct made from the scraps of fur coats.

"Many designers throw on fur—especially trim—as an afterthought, thinking they aren't responsible for harming animals. But with creative, talented designers like Jay committed to confronting the cruelty of fur, and making the connection to animals, fur-free will become the fashion, saving the lives of millions of animals," said HSUS Fashion Industry Liaison Annie Judah. "TRANSPORT was an amazing example of how compassion can work on the runway and in people's closets."

McCarroll waves from the runway to close the fur-free show. His designs were called "trendsetting."  (HSUS/Sisneros)

McCarroll replaced fur with a host of other materials for TRANSPORT in place of fur? "I have patchwork pieces that contain all sorts of combinations of fabrics. The rest is cotton, nylon, polyester...you name it. I even have some stuff made out of bamboo/cotton blend. It's really amazing. Anything but fur and leather," he told Fashion Wire Daily.

Carson Kressley, "fashion savant" and star of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," echoed the sentiments in his response to the show's success (McCarroll received a rare Fashion Week standing ovation) and pointed fur-free message: "It's a great thing for the industry and for The Humane Society of the United States and for Jay. It's a hat-trick."

With designers like McCarroll leading the charge, many celebrities, designers, retailers and models are distancing themselves from the fur industry.

It's a divorce The HSUS sees saving lives. "So many people want to protect animals and want to live their lives without causing unnecessary cruelty. More than two-thirds of Americans have pets, and we share a bond with animals every day. Saying no to fur can help millions of animals, and we want to celebrate leading designers like Jay who embrace compassion as the fashion," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The HSUS. "It is great to see leaders in the fashion industry recognizing that the animals need their fur more than we do."

McCarroll's next project: he'll keep designing and spreading the fur-free message with The HSUS, and he is even designing a special edition handbag exclusively for HSUS supporters. But when things settle down, the animal shelter volunteer-turned-fashion star says he'd like to adopt a dog.

Loren Drummond is associate editor of www.hsus.org.

See the Video

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