Los Angeles bans fur sales; becomes largest US city to go fur-free

With the joint efforts led by members of City Council Paul Koretz, Bob Blumenfield, and Mitch O’Farrell, Los Angeles has announced a citywide ban on the sale of fur. The decision, that deems L.A. as the biggest city in the United States to go fur-free, was a result of an unanimous vote conducted by the Los Angeles City Council, recently.

It is just a signature away from Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer to get legalised in this regard. “There is no specific timetable at this point,” a spokesman in Feuer’s office confirmed.

In a statement, Councilman Koretz said, “We are excited to bring to end a cruel and inhumane practice. LA has been a leader on humane issues and this is a great next step in that arena. We appreciate council member Bob Blumenfield and Marc Ching and his Animal Hope & Wellness organization, for their leadership on this issue. We think we’ve also been as reasonable as possible by accommodating the fur industry allowing the fur retailers to phase out their inventory. We are delighted by those in the fashion industry that are getting out in front of this including Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, Versace, Gucci and Burberry that have made commitments to remove fur from their line of products. We hope that by being the largest City in the U.S. to ban fur, we help set a tone for the rest of the country to join in.”

This year saw the ban on fur sales being carried out in San Francisco and other California cities including West Hollywood and Berkeley.

PETA applauded the event and shared images of supporters holding “#Fur Free LA” and “Fur Is Dead” signs outside the Los Angeles City Hall. It was also supported by celebrities like Maggie Q, Alicia Silverstone and Mena Suvari.

Executive Vice President of PETA commented by the means of an email that stated, “PETA is popping the Champagne corks today after the Los Angeles City Council — led by Council Members Paul Koretz, Bob Blumenfield and Mitch O’Farrell — voted to ban the manufacturing and sale of fur, thereby sparing countless animals the horror of being beaten, electrocuted, and skinned alive for environmentally toxic products that kind shoppers don’t want and top designers won’t use. When Los Angeles speaks, the world listens, and it’s now the largest and most notable city to tell the world that fur is dead.”

This step was the latest accomplishment for animal rights supporters who have been encouraging fashion designers to stop incorporating fur in their creations. Recently, Versace, Gucci, Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo pledged to avoid fur in their collections. Burberry went the faux fur way with the debut collection of Riccardo Tisci and announced that it will not be burning non-salable products anymore.