Friday, September 4, 2009

The fur is flying in Melbourne, but where the hell is PETA?



Within one hour of touching down in Melbourne for this week's Marc Jacobs on Film festival, fashblogger Bryanboy told me he was approached by two animal rights protestors on Bourke Street over a fox fur collar he was sporting. One of two fur collars he brought to Melbourne. In the interim, the animal rights lobby has been asleep at the vegan leather-covered wheel. In spite of having been targeted by PETA last year back in his home town of Manila, a recent blog blowup about the origin of these particular furs - China - and furthermore, having repeatedly advertised his Melbourne location, not a peep out of PETA. And that's not for a lack of opportunities.

On Tuesday, frockwriter was down in Melbourne to moderate another FGI Fashion Flash industry seminar, this time at the Fashion Exposed trade show.

Spent the rest of the afternoon out and about town with Bryanboy and a blog posse that included Matt 'Imelda' Jordan, Helen 'Sassybella' Lee, Hayley Hughes and celebrity stylist Philip Boon.

Bryanboy was wearing the silver fox and frockwriter couldn't resist doing a little impromptu styling:




In case there is any doubt that that is, or at least was, a fox, here's a closeup of its face:



I did not manage to get a shot, but FYI the mouth opens and closes.

After we both tweeted the shots, I was a little concerned that Bryanboy might be on the receiving end of a bucket of red paint. And that I might inadvertently cop a little PETA "fur scum" rage by way of proximity:


imelda

But nada.

And as if Bryanboy needed any encouragement on the fur front, moreover, Boon appears to be even more of a fur-ophile.

Here's a shot from Boon's iPhone that was recently taken during a trip to the Victorian Alps:



This afternoon, Boon took Bryanboy on a Melbourne shopping tour, which swung by numerous shops selling vintage fur.



bryanboy

And apparently Bryanboy did not walk away empty-handed. Here he is back at the hotel:


bryanboy


Shots and shop locations were tweeted by both Bryanboy and Boon all afternoon.

But still, no reaction.

So there you have it.

In spite of recent protests outside the boutique of Melbourne designer Alannah Hill (and an email death threat which PETA denied had anything to do with them), PETA has lost the battle against fur in Melbourne - where a fur coat would no doubt come in very handy during the chilly southern winter.

Too busy busy pumping energy into the mulesing saga downunder?


7 comments:

Style On Track said...

I could see why they made more of a deal out of Alannah Hill, she is a major fashion retailer whereas very stylish blogger and vintage stores have the one of piece. It still makes me sad though seeing little dead baby animals on a human :(

Anonymous said...

Shame PETA, lift your game. I can't believe the mouth on that still opens and closes-are you sure its dead?

Bryanboy said...

from those photos it looks like i need to get a nose job. i thought i got my angles right lol

Death Wears Diamond Jewellery said...

PETA doesn't really have a huge australian presence, especially for just one person. alannah hill is understandable as she is selling the furs, not just one random, albeit semi-famous style blogger.

glad that there were SOME reactions from people in the street- wearing and supporting those who wear fur is disgusting.

Anon said...

Well, being a vegetarian, and hanging around them all with their fur was actually really hard for me, but I hate preaching vego's and I never want to be one of them so for me its a personal decision. If Bryan Boy and Philip Boon don't care that what they are wearing was once a living breathing creature who was quite possibly slaughtered in a cruel inhumane way in China then that is up to them. Oh and yes I don't wear leather either. Ha, and I said I don't want to be a preaching vegetarian. BTW I've been a vego for 15 years!

Sunny said...

Why is it up to PeTA to point out how hideous it is to wear fur and glorify the horrible death of an innocent animal for something that is completely unnecessary and cruel?

Aren't people capable of realising this on their own without an organisation pointing it out to them?

I couldn't give a s$%# about PeTA but I do care about the animals that were skinned so that some pathetic blogger can try and think he's irreverant and cool.

I understand how you might have a problem with PeTA and some of their tactics. I'm not a big fan myself. It's just a shame that in peoples' dislike of the group, the message behind it gets so skewed.

Fur is disgusting. We all know it. We shouldn't have to wait for someone to be spashed with red paint to have an opinion and we certainly shouldn't be glorifying people who wear it.

Anonymous said...

i wear fur , i dont really care what peta or anyone else has to say about it, but the fact that this guy is wearing fox fur he knows came from china makes my stomach cringe , i know what the chinese are like in regard to animals welfare ( its non existant )and i refuse to buy furs that dont attach a saga label verifying all pelts came from finland or canada etc NEVER, ever china

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