The Humane Society of the United States announced the results of an investigation into fur trim earlier this year, and they were startling. Major designers were using fur from a canine species called “raccoon dog”, but labeling the fur as “faux.”

Three designers even used domestic dog fur advertised as “fake fur” or “faux fur”: Tommy Hilfiger, Joie, and MARC New York.

Now Beyonce’s “House of Dereon” (one of the designers that used “raccoon dog” fur) has come out in support of a new bill to ban the sale of “raccoon dog” fur, and close a loophole that “allows a jacket trimmed with $150 worth of fur to be sold without a label. Because animal fur is often sheared and dyed to look fake, an unsuspecting consumer who thinks she is getting faux fur could be purchasing animal fur.”

Read Tina Knowles letter inside.

Tina writes:

To whom it may concern,

The Humane Society of the United States alerted us when the group discovered, through mass spectrometry testing, that a fur-trimmed jacket from the Der

on collection used Asiatic raccoon fur and that this animal is often killed in inhumane ways, and its use has led to industry-wide deception in the fashion industry.

Fashion is an important part of my life and my career, and through the House of Der

on and Der

on clothing lines, we hope to inspire a new generation of self-expression and confidence. While some of our designs include fur, we were surprised to learn that we could have little assurance in what type of fur we purchased.

We don’t want to have to guess about what types of products we are using and consumers shouldn’t have to guess either. All garments should be 100% properly labeled.

We endorse the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act, introduced by Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA) and Congressman Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), and support the Humane Society of the United States on the call to Congress to enact this important animal welfare and consumer protection law as quickly as possible.

Tina Knowles

House of Der

on

Another option would be to avoid buying items that have fur trim, as you now know it could be domestic dog fur. By the way, Tommy Hilfiger labels domestic dog fur as “Nylon Coyote,” which sounds like the name of a band.—MEGHANN MARCO

HSUS Fur Investigation (PDF) [HSUS]

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