Can you imagine the fashion capital state within the United States not allowing the sale of fur in New York? Sounds quite insane, doesn’t it? There are protests going on in New York right now and no other than fur enthusiasts rapper Safaree Samuels is in the mix fighting for the rights of fur lovers, and the industry as a whole.
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The Run Down
According to The New York Times the bill being considered by the Council would ban the sale of fur garments and accessories, but it would allow the sale of used fur garments and new apparel using fur from older garments. Violators would be subject to fines of $500 to $1,500, and any money made from selling banned fur would be subject to forfeiture. The bill would not ban wearing fur.
Los Angeles is the largest city in the country to have banned the sale of fur; other cities include San Francisco and West Hollywood. But New York City is the largest fur retail market in the United States, according to FurNYC, a trade group representing 130 fur retailers in the city. The 150 fur businesses in the city create 1,100 jobs and produce $400 million in revenue per year, according to the group.
Maria Reich, 43, chief executive of Reich Furs, a Manhattan-based manufacturer of fur coats, said a ban on fur sales would have a drastic impact to her employees “The morale is down. They are scared,” “These are people who have a craft and have been working in this industry for 30 or 40 years. They don’t know what they will do next, and they have families to support.”
“There’s a political agenda. If this ban happens, the leather industry will be attacked, the meat industry will be attacked,” Ms. Reich said. “There’s a slippery slope. Are politicians going to tell us what to do, what to wear and what to eat? It’s a little bigger than fur.”
Each side had celebrity power: The anti-fur movement was represented by Tim Gunn, the “Project Runway” style guru; the pro-fur crowd had Safaree Samuels, a rapper and television personality, who was wearing a lynx coat that he said he had bought for the event.
