Sean Jean Sells Dog Fur Jacket as "Faux"
The Humane Society has issued the results of their tests on a supposedly "faux" fur Sean Jean jacket sold at Macys. From the Press Release:
- "First these jackets were falsely advertised as faux fur, and then it turned out that the fur came from a type of dog," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "This is an industry-wide problem, and our investigation demonstrates that retailers and designers aren't paying close enough attention to composition of the fur trim they are selling. It's especially problematic when the fur is sourced from China where domestic dogs and cats and raccoon dogs are killed in gruesome ways, even skinned alive. The safest course of action is for Sean Combs and other designers and retailers to stop using fur trim. That single act would solve the problems we have uncovered."
Sean Jean is the clothing label of Sean "puffy" Combs, P. Diddy, whatever. That guy. The above photo is of the type of dog used in the coat.—MEGHANN MARCO
Full Press Release inside.
- Diddy in Doghouse Over Fur Coat Fiasco
The Humane Society of the United States Investigation Reveals that Sean John Jacket, Advertised as "Faux Fur" at Macy's, is Fur from Canines
WASHINGTON (December 22, 2006) - The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) released the results of a mass spectrometry test today conducted on a Sean John Hooded Snorkel Jacket sold on Macys.com that was originally advertised as having an "imitation rabbit fur collar" and materials identified as "faux fur."
The jacket, part of a clothing line by Sean "Diddy" Combs, was labeled as containing "raccoon" fur, but has now been found to be fur from a canine species known as "raccoon dog." Macy's informed The HSUS that the company has pulled the mislabeled Sean John garments from its department stores and online shop. The group is urging all retailers to follow the lead of Macy's.
"First these jackets were falsely advertised as faux fur, and then it turned out that the fur came from a type of dog," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "This is an industry-wide problem, and our investigation demonstrates that retailers and designers aren't paying close enough attention to composition of the fur trim they are selling. It's especially problematic when the fur is sourced from China where domestic dogs and cats and raccoon dogs are killed in gruesome ways, even skinned alive. The safest course of action is for Sean Combs and other designers and retailers to stop using fur trim. That single act would solve the problems we have uncovered."
The news comes on the heels of other mass spectrometry tests conducted by The HSUS on a range of fur-trimmed jackets - from retailers such as Burlington Coat Factory, Bloomingdale's, J.C. Penney, Macy's, and Saks Fifth Avenue, and from designers and clothing lines such as Baby Phat, Andrew Marc, MaxMara, and Calvin Klein - revealing that most of the jackets labeled as "raccoon" or "coyote" from China in fact contain fur from raccoon dogs. Of the ten garments tested by The HSUS, nine tested positive as raccoon dog fur and were mislabeled, a violation of federal law.
Due to the lack of animal welfare laws and prevalence of garment factories, China currently ranks as the leading exporter of fur and supplies half of all of the fur products that enter the United States for sale. Animals documented being raised and killed in China - in barbaric ways - include dogs, cats, foxes, mink, and, of particular note, raccoon dogs, a species of canine whose fur resembles raccoon. An HSUS investigation in China in 1998 revealed that fur sellers in China will attach almost any label their customers want on their coats.
The Fur Products Labeling Act prohibits the advertising or sale of any fur product that is falsely or misleadingly labeled, and authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to seek criminal penalties, impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation and to seize mislabeled products.
The HSUS is also calling on Congress to amend the Dog and Cat Protection Act - which bans the sale of dog or cat fur in the United States - to include raccoon dog, since the animals are so inhumanely killed and the species is similar to domesticated dogs. Raccoon dogs are indigenous to Asia, including eastern Siberia and Japan, and are sometimes called Asiatic raccoons, Finn raccoons, or tanuki. "It would be jarring to the public to shop in a marketplace where dog and cat fur is banned, but coats labeled as 'raccoon dog' are still legally sold," added Pacelle.
Each year, over 50 million animals worldwide, such as dogs, cats, raccoon dogs, mink, foxes, bobcats, beavers, raccoons, and lynx, are killed for their fur. By supporting fur-free designers, sponsoring fashion design contests and advertising in industry publications, The HSUS's Fur-Free Campaign works with both consumers and the fashion industry to encourage decisions that reject the use of fur and instead promote warm and fashionable alternatives. To learn about The HSUS's Fur-Free Campaign and what you can do to take action, visit our website www.furfree.hsus.org
Media Contact: Karen L. Allanach (301) 548-7778, kallanach@hsus.org
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Comments:
That's a dog?
Oh man, I almost bought a "raccoon trim" coat from Andrew Marc (listed in the article as another designer with false labeling). I bet it's one of the ones that's really dog fur. Dodged a bullet there, eh? This sh*t makes me ill. I bought a North Face coat with acrylic faux fur trim, and it's probably a ton warmer than the Andrew Marc coat would've been, anyway. Of course, now I get to feel guilty about where that goose down came from . . .
Bambino -- I guess those are the racoon dogs that are described in the article. They're adorable. Is that an only-in-China species? I've never heard of them.
Oh, btw, those raccoon dogs are the cutest damned critters I've ever seen. I want one! (Like, you know, a live one.)
Why would dog fur offend someone? Cause it is a cute animal? Don't get excited and pretend to wear the carcass of a dead animal only to find out it was real. You wanted people to think you hated animals and required that one be killed for your vanity. What is the difference?
I want to eat a little gaegogi as I wear my Sean Jean jacket. mmmmmm tasty AND stylish.
Magister
I think the issue is the item's being called "faux" fur. Yes, it is a bit more shocking when the fur comes from an animal that people have as pets, but either way, fur is fur, and this isn't supposed to be fur on these clothing items.
Just wait until Pamela Anderson Lee Rock Anderson gets wind of this!
Ahh, the perfect article to send to my co-worker, who brought her yappy little puppy to work with her today! Thanks, Consumerist!
I hate dogs.
Trivia time: These are also called tanuki in Japan, and they have a very strange mythology around them. They're considered fertility symbols based on their oversized testicles. Also, when you're playing Super Mario Brothers 3, and you turn into a raccoon and fly, a tanuki is what you're actually turning into.
Here's an article on the mythology:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanuki
And here's the IMDB page about a movie done by Studio Ghibli, and imported by Disney:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110008/
Completely off-topic, but interesting.
K
"Tanuki may be shown with their testicles flung over their backs like travellers' packs, or using them as drums"
Well alrighty then.
So....THAT is why all the Japanese ladies call me "Tanuki"...
I blame the Mario brothers games...ever since the 3rd installment, they've been promoting the idea of wearing Tanuki fur...
Seriously though, why would you want Tanuki fur? They're the result of drunk dog/racoon love...
Ugghhhhh, better watch my dachshunds about being exposed to those pesky raccoons in my back yard. I may be in for a surprise! It's actually kind of cute and fluffy, bet they're mean as hell though.....
What's the point of having the dogs skinned alive? Wouldn't it be easier to skin something that isn't trying to _run away_? I'm sure the 3 seconds it takes to smash its head in would take less time than trying to skin the damn thing while it's still moving.
*dislikes most dogs, but hates the idea of them being skinned (dead or alive)*
Just in time for Christmas:
"I'm sorry kids -- you can't have a puppy. But look at these coats -- it's almost like having a puppy!"
They're only "dogs" in a very general sense. Raccoon dogs are in the same taxonomic family* as dogs, but so are coyotes, foxes, jackels, and wolves. They're not in the same genus as dogs, which are in the same genus as jackals, coyotes, red wolves, and grey wolves (techinically, domestic dogs are a subspecies of gray wolf). So it's not really dog fur in the sense of fido getting the axe for fashion. It is clearly mislabeled, though.
*For those who have supressed their memories of intro bio, I'm referring to the classic taxonomic tree: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
Just slap the name "dog" on an a harvested animal and watch people go irrationally batshit.
It's clear than Macy's made a mistake in it's advertising. Burlington made a nominal error in it's labelling, but not so much as to cause a person on the anti-fur bandwagon to mistakenly buy it.
Is this news? Hardly.
Is this the HSUS frothing about it and then using it as an excuse to chest-thump about their anti-fur agenda? Bingo.
I think all importing from a communist country should be banned to begin with. When I buy stuff I usually pick it up and look for the "made in china" label first. If it's there it goes back on the shelf, or the floor.
So dog fur makes good jackets. They aren't going extinct. Who cares. Apprarently they tast good too...Too bad there isn't a bigger market for dead babies.
Burlington made a nominal error in it's labelling, but not so much as to cause a person on the anti-fur bandwagon to mistakenly buy it.
Is this news? Hardly.
It's probably important to people with allergies. I would also think that there are people who wouldn't buy real fur who don't think it's unethical to buy something with fake fur on it.
How is this news, you ask?
Retailers, manufacturers, designers, and brands at all different price points with the species of animal mislabeled--in violation of federal law.
Two national retailers advertising real fur as faux.
Uh...not sure how much more newsworthy it could be.
Maybe if you watch the footage, you'll better appreciate why getting real fur when you wanted fake is such a big deal: www.furfree.hsus.org
FYI: Fur trappers in the United States kill dogs and cats each year in their indiscriminate traps.
This is a serious issue and I don't think it's something that should be taken as a joke or even commented as a joke. Some people have some nerve you obviously don't believe in Karma. I honestly believe that what goes around comes around. I am so disappointed with Puff Daddy who know of this cruelty and still go ahead and place their label on it. That why this world is basically going down the drain because of people like this who have no shame and who have to lie in order to make profit. How would they feel if the shoe were on the other foot. You people are shameful, horrible creatures that don't deserve any respect or consideration. I hope these dealers loose all their profits and fail in everything they do. They are a total disgrace.
He don't care! He's a balla, son! Bad boy for life!
On a serious note, this is disgusting.