
‘Kind shoppers can do their part by steering clear of alpaca fleece and opting for chic, PETA-approved vegan clothing that no animal had to suffer for’
Top luxury fashion brand Valentino has announced it will stop using alpaca fleece in its garments from the end of 2021 making it the first major luxury brand to make such a move.
The announcement follows an exposé by animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Exposé
PETA’s video footage from the world’s largest privately-owned alpaca farm in Mallkini, Peru showed ‘crying alpacas roughly shorn, cut open, and left bleeding from deep wounds’.
In the footage, some workers handling the alpacas were seen slamming them onto tables, including the ones pregnant. The animals were then ‘tied to a stretching device, and pulled hard, nearly wrenching their legs out of their sockets’.
The charity added that the workers held struggling, crying alpacas by the ears whilst they were roughly shorn with electric clippers, causing some to vomit out of fear. Even the animals wounded after the shearing process were just stitched up without adequate pain relief.
‘Unacceptable mistreatment’
In response to PETA’s investigation, Michell, which owns the facility in Mallkini, said in a statement: “The shocking images transmitted in the video undoubtedly show excesses that we deeply deplore and affect us profoundly. They have clearly been edited and show unacceptable mistreatment practices carried out by negligent shearers.
“We want to reiterate our commitment to continue striving to improve our animal welfare, to work for a healthier environment, to provide the best products and services to all of you, to take care of our collaborators, and to contribute to our community, always in an honest and transparent manner.”
‘Compassionate choice’
But PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a statement: “Valentino’s compassionate decision will go a long way in helping to prevent vulnerable alpacas from being abused and shorn bloody for their fleece.
“Kind shoppers can do their part by steering clear of alpaca fleece and opting for chic, PETA-approved vegan clothing that no animal had to suffer for.”
Valentino joins Esprit, Marks & Spencer, UNIQLO – the third-largest clothing retailer in the world, Gap Inc (which owns Banana Republic, Athleta, and other brands) and H&M Group (which owns eight brands) in ditching the material following PETA’s “first-of-its-kind” undercover investigation.
Share this news to raise awareness about the animal cruelties rampant in the fashion industry.
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Bear Grylls ’embarrassed’ by past vegan diet promotes meat, blood, and bone marrow for better health
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 15th May 2023
“I’ve tried to listen to my body more, tried to listen to nature, and I don’t miss vegetables at all. I don’t go near them, and I’ve never felt stronger, my skin’s never been better, and my gut’s never been better.” Adventurer and TV presenter Bear Grylls has become a die-hard carnivore fan after admitting …
Pro-farming group mocks plant-based food truck for setting up a stall at horse trials
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 12th May 2023
A plant-based food business has sparked an online debate after a pro-farming page mocked it for doing no sales at a recently held horse event. Farmers Against Misinformation posted an image of a plant-based food van on Facebook and wrote alongside it: “The only food stand with no queue today at the Badminton Horse Trials.” …
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …
Continue reading “QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert”
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a …
Continue reading “QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?”
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …