Latest news with #CollectiveFashionJustice
Sky News AU
6 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Horror as 'sheepskin' vest sold in Melbourne shopping centre is revealed to be made from two domestic cats, sparking outrage from animal welfare advocates
A children's vest sold as "100 per cent Australian sheepskin or wool" has been found to contain the fur of two domestic cats, igniting renewed calls for a crackdown on fur sales in Victoria. The discovery was made after forensic testing by UK-based fibre analysis firm Microtex confirmed the vest, sold by Suttons UGG, was made of both domestic cat and rabbit fur. The product was being sold in a Melbourne shopping centre. "This vest has one cat skin on the front and one cat skin on the back, as well as rabbit fur," Collective Fashion Justice founder Emma Hakansson, who ordered the tests after receiving a tip-off from a concerned shopper, told the press on Thursday. Suttons UGG, which operates shopfronts in Sydney and Melbourne, is not affiliated with Australian manufacturer UGG. The forensic analysis also revealed two beanies sold at Queen Victoria Markets were mislabelled as acrylic despite containing pompoms made from fox and raccoon dog fur. Raccoon dogs (a mix between raccoons, dogs, and wolves) are often subjected to extreme cruelty in overseas fur farms, with advocates claiming they are electrocuted, bludgeoned, or skinned alive. The revelations have triggered fresh demands from both the Collective Fashion Justice and the Animal Justice Party for a complete ban on fur sales and imports across Victoria. "Consumers could be out there buying this, and then going out and wearing domestic cats," Animal Justice MP for Nothern Victoria Georgie Purcell said. While the import and export of cat and dog fur has been banned in Australia since 2004, misleading product labelling remains a growing concern. Under Australian Consumer Law, companies can face penalties of up to $50 million, and individuals up to $2.5 million, for false or misleading claims about products. In 2020, Consumer Affairs Victoria found that every single fur item tested as part of its investigation was mislabelled. Several businesses were issued warnings, and at least one committed to ending fur sales altogether. Hakansson said the practice of mislabelling fur is widespread. "Every single time we have sent fur for testing the lab has confirmed it was illegally mislabelled and this has been true for years now,' she said. Off the back of the latest discovery, Ms Purcell is urging the Victorian Government to introduce an immediate statewide fur ban. "This isn't the first time that we've found cat fur being sold by a Melbourne retailer – and if the Allan Government doesn't act, it won't be the last," she said. The MP emphasised that the Victorian Government had no problem quickly banning machetes in response to the recent youth crime wave. "We think they (the government) should treat this with as much seriousness," she told the ABC. "We don't need another task force. We know that this is a problem, we know that the fur industry is cruel, we know that it's outdated." The revelations sparked fury online, with social media users expressing shock and disgust. "This is so disgusting. Thank you for speaking up about this," one person wrote on Instagram. "So horrific, thank you for investigating," said another. A third commenter said that "not all fur is cruel" but agreed that "all fur should be labelled correctly". has contacted Suttons UGG for comment.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Forensic testing reveals ‘wool' clothing made of domestic cat fur
An investigation by Collective Fashion Justice and Australia 's Animal Justice Party uncovered mislabeled animal fur products being sold in Victoria. Children's vests from fashion brand Suttons UGG, labelled as '100 per cent Australian sheepskin or wool', were found to contain domestic cat and rabbit fur through forensic testing. Two beanies sold at a Queen Victoria market in Melbourne, labelled as 100 per cent acrylic, were revealed to be made from fox and raccoon dog fur. These discoveries have prompted animal rights groups and the Animal Justice Party to call for a statewide ban on the sale of all animal fur in Victoria. Previous efforts include a 2004 ban on cat and dog fur import/export and a 2020 investigation by Consumer Affairs Victoria that found widespread mislabeling of fur products prompted warnings to be issued to fur sellers. Outrage after cat fur clothing sold in Australia
The Independent
13 hours ago
- The Independent
Outrage after cat fur clothing sold in Australia
Clothes made of cat fur were discovered being sold in Victoria despite the Australian government's promise to crack down on the practice, an advocacy group said. An investigation by Collective Fashion Justice and Australia's Animal Justice Party found that children's vests containing cat fur were sold while being labelled as fake fur or sheep wool. Forensic testing revealed the vest sold by fashion brand Suttons UGG was made of domestic cat fur and rabbit fur. However, the vest was labelled as "100 per cent Australian sheepskin or wool". Similarly, two beanies with pom-poms sold at a Queen Victoria market in central Melbourne were found to be falsely labelled as 100 per cent "acrylic". A test by British fibre analysis firm Microtex revealed they were made from fox and raccoon dog fur. The discoveries have led to calls from animal rights groups and the Animal Justice Party for a statewide ban on the sale of all animal fur. The Australian Fashion Council, earlier this yea,r banned the use of fur, wild-animal skins, and wild feathers from runways. "Every Victorian would be shocked to know that they could go to the store and accidentally buy something made from cat fur, when they may have a cat at home themselves," Collective Fashion Justice founder Emma Hakansson said. Suttons UGG, which has retail stores in Sydney and Melbourne, in a statement to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, admitted the label on the vest was "wrong". A spokesperson told the broadcaster they had been informed by the manufacturer that the vest was made from a "kind of special fur", and the company could not "100 per cent confirm" whether that included cat. The Australian government banned the import and export of cat and dog fur in 2004. In 2020, a Consumer Affairs Victoria investigation into the mislabelling of fur products found that every product independently tested by the taskforce was wrongly labelled. Shortly after, fur sellers were issued warnings. Georgie Purcell, the Animal Justice Party MP for Northern Victoria, has called for the sale of fur to be banned. "The message from the community couldn't be clearer – fur is out of fashion. Whether it's cat, dog, rabbit, or fox – the one constant is that it's all cruel," she said. "The time for regulation is done. The only thing left to do is to completely ban fur, just as other jurisdictions around the world have already done."
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Advocacy group finds cat fur clothing sold in Victoria despite import ban
Clothing containing cat fur is still being sold in Victoria while being labelled as fake or sheep's wool, an advocacy group says, years after a state government taskforce vowed to crack down on the practice. Forensic testing conducted by British fibre analysis firm Microtex has found a children's vest sold by fashion brand Suttons Ugg was made of domestic cat fur and rabbit fur, despite being labelled as "100 per cent Australian sheepskin or wool". Suttons Ugg is not connected to UGG Since 1974, the Australian brand. The tests, ordered by fashion advocacy group Collective Fashion Justice, also found two beanies purchased from Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market had pompoms made from fox and raccoon dog fur, but were labelled as acrylic. Raccoon dogs are fox-like animals that advocates say are often electrocuted, bludgeoned to death, or skinned alive for their fur. The discoveries have prompted animal welfare advocates and the Animal Justice Party to renew calls for a statewide ban on the sale of all animal fur, and a blanket ban on fur imports, arguing consumers are unknowingly purchasing real fur produced in cruel conditions overseas. "Every Victorian would be shocked to know that they could go to the store and accidentally buy something made from cat fur, when they may have a cat at home themselves," Collective Fashion Justice founder Emma Hakansson said. Under consumer laws, businesses can be fined up to $50 million, and individuals $2.5 million, for making false or misleading representations about products. In a statement to the ABC, Suttons Ugg, which has retail stores in Sydney and Melbourne, admitted the label on the vest was "wrong". A spokesperson said they had been informed by the manufacturer that the vest was made from a "kind of special fur", and the company could not "100 per cent confirm" whether that included cat. Australia banned the import and export of cat and dog fur in 2004, but the Australian Border Force has reported no seizures in the 20 years since the prohibition came into force. In 2020, Consumer Affairs Victoria launched an investigation into the mislabelling of fur products, which found every product independently tested by the taskforce was wrongly labelled. Fur sellers were issued warnings, and one committed to a fur ban as a result. Yet, years later, animal welfare activists say the practice remains widespread in Victoria. Emma Hakansson said consumers could look for certain traits to check they were not buying items potentially containing animal hair. "If the ends of the fur are quite wispy instead of blunt, then it's likely to be animal fur," she said. "If you look at the middle, you might find skin attached, whereas it would be on a woven, fabric backing if it was faux fur. You can also see that faux fur shines a little bit differently — there are a few different tells." Collective Fashion Justice, alongside the Animal Justice Party, has been testing fur products since 2021. Ms Hakansson said that in that time, they had found mislabelled fur in several markets, individual retail shops, and chain stores across Melbourne. The cat fur vest tested by the group was found after a tip-off from a member of the public. Animal Justice MP Georgie Purcell said it shouldn't be down to consumers to be able to spot mislabelled fur, and that Victoria should introduce a statewide ban on the sale of all fur. "The [Victorian government] had no issue immediately banning machetes, we think they should treat this with as much seriousness," Ms Purcell said. "We don't need another taskforce. We know that this is a problem, we know that the fur industry is cruel, we know that it's outdated." Louise Ward, programs lead at animal welfare organisation Four Paws Australia, said it was clear Victorian and federal authorities were unable to enforce laws banning the mislabelling of fur products and the sale of cat and dog fur, and a complete ban on the import and export of fur was needed. "Fur farming would not meet the basic welfare standards we have in Australia, and yet we're importing that cruelty from other countries," Ms Ward said. Australian Border Force (ABF) did not respond to questions asking how it monitored attempts to import cat and dog fur, and how many seizures had been carried out since Australia's ban was introduced, but told the ABC it had granted six permits for keepsakes of pets. However, Ms Ward, in email correspondence seen by the ABC, was told in April by ABF's Permits and Strategic Goods that no seizures had been performed since 2004. "There have been no reports of seizure of illegal imports of dog or cat fur since the introduction of the prohibition," the ABF spokesperson said. Last month, Switzerland became the first European country to ban the import and export of "cruelly produced" fur. In the UK, a private members' bill that would prohibit the import and sale of fur was introduced into parliament this week and is set to be debated later in the year. It followed a high-profile campaign and petition that received more than 1.2 million signatures. A spokesperson for Consumer Affairs Victoria said it "takes reports of business misconduct seriously and will investigate and take action where necessary." Home Affairs did not respond to requests for comment. Queen Victoria Market said it was "unaware of mislabelled fur items" being sold at the market. "We do not condone the sale of any goods of this nature and work with traders and relevant authorities to resolve specific situations when they are brought to our attention," a QVM spokesperson said.
Fibre2Fashion
16-05-2025
- General
- Fibre2Fashion
Australian Fashion Week bans fur, exotic skins & feathers on catwalk
The Australian Fashion Council has officially banned the use of fur, wild-animal skins, and wild feathers from Australian Fashion Week (AFW) catwalks. Effective immediately, the new policy ensures that the 2025 edition of AFW will be entirely free from wildlife exploitation. Australian Fashion Week has banned fur, wild-animal skins, and feathers from its catwalks, making the 2025 edition wildlife-free. The policy, developed with Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection, marks a major win for ethical fashion. The decision reflects growing public demand for cruelty-free, sustainable alternatives. The policy is developed in collaboration with Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection. With this policy, crocodiles, foxes, and exotic birds will be protected, ensuring they are no longer used in fashion displays at this event. This decision reflects the growing public demand for ethical and sustainable fashion. It is a victory driven by thousands of compassionate Australians who believe fashion should never come at the cost of animal lives, according to World Animal Protection. This move builds on similar wildlife-free commitments achieved at Melbourne Fashion Week, Melbourne Fashion Festival, and international runways in Berlin and Copenhagen. 'This latest announcement is a reminder that the fashion industry can be a positive force or wildlife, and change the lives of crocodiles, ostriches, minks and more. We are seeing a domino effect of fashion events around Australia and the world rejecting exotic skins, feathers and fur. With this new wildlife friendly policy, Australian Fashion Week have joined the growing list of runways that are embracing innovative alternatives to cruelty,' said Suzanne Milthorpe, head of campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia. Animal rights organisations, including PETA, have long campaigned for this change. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
