New York City May Ban Fur Sales Under New Bill
Recent years has seen the decline of fur sales, and it just a matter of time before it goes extinct. The emergence of Faux Fur as a more appealing substitute for fur has given brands and designers a second option. Designers like Diane von Furstenberg, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Chanel have stopped the use of Fur n all of their product lines. The buck doesn’t just stop there; even cities are making a stand against the use of Fur. For instance, Corey Johnson the New York City Council Speaker proposed the bill to ban Fur apparels from going on sale in New York. Supporting the notion was Councilman Mar Levine, And Fernando Cabrera, both of Manhattan and Bronx respectively. It will be brought to the council at Thursday’s general meeting.
In the U.S, New York has the biggest fur market. There are close to 150 fur businesses in the city, with a combined total of close to 1000 employees. Should the bill pass, lots of companies will go out of businesses, leaving a whole lot of persons unemployed. Johnson is the one in charge of the garment district, which makes the whole situation a bit strange to people.
But Johnson is relentless in his pursuit to see the bill enacted into law, citing the fact that it is inhumane to kill animals just vain purposes. “Diane von Furstenberg along with other designers, and brands don’t make use of fur. The industry is changing, and it is no longer relying on Fur because it is inhumane and cruel,” he said.
The fur ban would bring about a $500-$1500 fine for outlets in violation of the bill except the item is secondhand or was manufactured before the bill was passed. The exception to the rule is certain religious garments like Orthodox Jewish Fur hats.
Even though many fear the bill might spike up unemployment rates, New York City would not be the first city in the U.S to ban Fur. That honor goes to Los Angeles, who successfully implemented their fur ban back in September 2018.
Brittany Nims is a freelance staff writer at FashionPeriscope. Her work has appeared on the Huffington Post, among others. She spends most of her weekends in search of strong coffee and stronger Wi-Fi.