Vegetarian Star

Ah, everybody remembers when they received their first letter from PETA asking “Why the hell are you wearing fur?”

Eva Mendes can still recall the year 2003 when she was approached by the group after wearing a fur shawl to the premier of “Stuck on You.”

“You’re an up-and-coming star, and a lot of people are looking at you,” the letter read. “We noticed you were wearing fur and we wanted to bring this to your attention.”

Not only did Eva stop wearing fur, she posed in one of PETA’s anti-fur campaigns and has changed her diet to “mostly vegetarian.”

As the group celebrates 30 years of activism, it’s comforting to know that although fur is being seen as a trend for the fall and winter of 2010 on fashion runways, people in the real world aren’t putting them in their closets.

The Province reports that U.S. mink imports were down 30% in 2009 versus 2008. Demand for alligator and crocodile hides used in handbags and boots dropped 40% worldwide from the first quarter of 2008 to the same quarter of 2009, according to the Associated Press. And last year, the New York Times reported that the U.S. alligator farming business is also on the decline.

Retailers like H&M and Overstock.com have stopped selling exotic skins and designers like Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein have also pledged to stop using fur in their designs.

To all the activists, PETA supporting or not, congratulations on a job well done and keep it up for the future!

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Although you still have to hit her with snowballs to earn points in the Holiday Snowball Game, Donna Karan has made the announcement that she will not be using fur in her fall 2009 winter or any future collections, according to PETA’s blog.

Congrats to Donna and animal lovers worldwide for a decision to advance the fashion industry. But will this new relationship between Karan and Peter cottontail last?

Pinocchio Giorgio Armani once promised to stop using fur in his collections, but only a little after a year, he reneged, prompting PETA to design an ad of him with a Pinocchio’s nose.

Tim Gunn, personality on “Project Runway”, sent both Donna and Armani a copy of the video he recorded exposing the ugly side of fur farms, with rabbits being skinned alive for their pelts. He’s not alone in the sea of fashionistas who are going against the fur grain, including Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein.

We hope Donna remains in the pack with the more ethical designers. Besides, she’s far too attractive a lady to pin a wooden nose on her for satire, don’t you think?

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