Will Pressure From Anti-fur Societies Convince Harrods to Pursue a No-fur Policy?

Harrods may be the only department store left in the UK selling fur but are they ashamed of this title? Are the protests having an effect on their decision to continue to stock and sell these garments? 

Anti-fur groups have had their fare share of unusual ways of getting their messages about the cruelty of the fur trade across to shops around the country. Harrods sells an assortment of fur clothing from designers such as Marc Jacobs using a coyote hair trim in his fashion line coting £625.00, causing Animal Rights UK activists to target the lavish department store. Animal rights UK spokesman quoted ‘chest and hair had been sent to the store by its supporters’ stating the reason behind the new campaign was for Harrods to ‘use them as an alternative to their current use of real animal fur’ (Orr, 2012). Would you pay over the odds to wear a dead animal on you back? Do you believe this campaign is a good way of showcasing the extent people will go to abolish the fur trade industry? 

Anti-fur groups take it upon themselves to hold regular protests through chanting, banners, leaflets and even signifying the cruelty to animals through demonstrations (See Pictures Below) Veggies(2013) state on their website ‘There are demos every Saturday at shops selling fur. Regular targets include Harrods and Joseph, as well as international campaign targets Escada and Max Mara.’ Is this taking it too far? 

Katherine Jenkins back in 2008 caused controversy with the opening of the winter collection in Harrods. Heckled by anti-fur protestors chanting “shame on Katherine” subsequently resulting in a protest in Katherine’s hometown of Wales voicing their disgust at the Singers ‘everyone’s entitled to their own opinion’ approach. Michaels (2008). As anti-fur groups continue to protest around the world, is Katherine Jenkins view acceptable? Because other department stores have a no fur policy, does it only seem right that Harrods should follow in their footsteps? Is the choice of clothing being sold in theses shops entirely up to owner? There are endless questions that could be asked but annoying to some its Harrods decision whether they are to continue to sell real fur.

Below is a short video from the Harrods Campaign and images from the protests:

References

Veggies(2013) London Anti-Fur Demos [Online] Available at: http://www.veggies.org.uk/event.php?ref=782 (Accessed: 20 April 2013). 

Orr, J. (2012) Human body hair sent to Harrods in envelopes in protest against sale of fur, The Telegraph [Online] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9228734/Human-body-hair-sent-to-Harrods-in-envelopes-in-protest-against-sale-of-fur.html. (Accessed: 10 April 2013). 

Michaels, S (2008) Katherine Jenkins heckled at Harrods, The Guardian [Online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/dec/29/katherine-jenkins-fur-protesters-harrods. (Accessed: 8 April 2013)