“The question is, when will Ralph Lauren embrace its own definition of true luxury and drop cashmere.”

 Ralph Lauren has been urged to ditch cashmere from its designs.

Animal rights charity PETA called on the luxury fashion brand to stop the use of the fine, soft wool, obtained originally from the Kashmir goat.

At Ralph Lauren’s annual meeting, PETA, a shareholder said: “Ralph Lauren Corporation pledges to offer timeless designs created through responsible sourcing.

“The company believes that true luxury encompasses how a product was made. Based on the findings of PETA Asia’s recent investigation into the cashmere industry sourcing practices, the organization raises concerns regarding responsible cashmere. The question is, when will Ralph Lauren embrace its own definition of true luxury and drop cashmere?”

Investigation

A recent PETA Asia investigation exposed “disturbing” animal abuse at cashmere farms in China and Mongolia. Together, the two supply 90% of the world’s cashmere.

In the footage, goats can be seen screaming in pain and terror as workers tie their legs together, pin them down, and tear out their hair with sharp metal combs, sometimes leaving them with bleeding wounds.

Moreover, it is industry practice that once the goats no longer produce enough hair to be profitable, the workers strike them with hammers, slit their throats, and leave them to bleed to death.

At one slaughterhouse, goats were seen writhing for four agonizing minutes as blood slowly leached out of their wounds.

‘Mutilated and violently slaughtered for a few sweaters’

“Every day in the cashmere industry, terrified goats are mutilated and violently slaughtered just to make a few sweaters,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a statement.

“PETA is calling on Ralph Lauren to make the responsible and compassionate decision to get cashmere out of its stores.”

Response

In response to PETA’s shocking footage, Katie Ioanilli, chief global impact and communications officer, claimed the brand is “very clear on how we treat animals in our supply chain.”

 “Our policy commits us to the respectful treatment of animals, which we believe together with other practices can contribute to species conservation and the protection of ecosystems,” he said.

“We are aware of the PETA report. We, along with other Sustainable Fiber Alliance members, await additional information that would better help us assess the situation and if appropriate to take action.”

 Vegan alternatives

A slew of fashion brands including Victoria’s Secret, Asos, and Mexx, among others have already dropped cashmere in favor of cruelty-free options, such as Tencel, Calotropis, soy-based fabrics,  and bamboo.

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