Press Coverage Fur Love to Fur Shame: Change of Heart for a Princess, by Karl Treacy, Fashion Wire Daily, October 16, 2003 Fur – out of the closet, by Valerie Gibson, Toronto Sun, June 2, 2003 Search for Mr. Right has gone to the dogs, by Valerie Gibson, Toronto Sun, May 20, 2003 Ad-Savvy Students 'Design Against Fur' by Jenny Bailly, Fashion Wire Daily, NY, April 18, 2003
Fur Love to Fur Shame: Change of Heart for a Princess
By Karl Treacy, October 16, 2003 - Paris On Tuesday night, the Le Bar du Plaza Athenée on Avenue Montaigne -- Paris’ toniest shopping street currently dripping in ultra-expensive winter pelts -- bore witness to a rather unusual event, as it was the site of an award ceremony for a competition to produce anti-fur advertising, put on by The Fur Free Alliance. After a brief but sharply worded speech by the Alliance’s patron, Princess Catherine Aga Khan, that lambasted fashion designers for promoting a fur "free-for-all,” the two winners received their prizes. Nicolas Poitou, 25, from Tournai in Belgium won the grand prize with his image of a sleeping fox with a clothing label that reads "Size 38." From Bedford in the UK, Daniel Howton’s "Barcode," which won the special Marchig Award, was a "graphic reminder of the true suffering behind the consumer barcode." The delighted 18-year-old, in only his first year of college, said that while he had obviously had certain feeling towards fur in the first place, the research he undertook to produce his entry really opened his eyes. "Whatever about before, I’m now never going to want to buy a mink coat," he professed. The following morning at the Hotel Bristol, FWD spoke to Princess Catherine about her involvement in the field of animal cruelty prevention. A former fur wearer herself, she became converted by a mixture of viewing an anti-fur video produced by David Bailey and her late husband Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan questioning her moral ethics. Prince Sadruddin, a former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, worked tirelessly all his life to help make the world a better place and with his wife founded the non-profit Bellerive Foundation, and in turn the Fur Free Alliance. With a karmic attitude to life and ingrained Greek superstitions, Princess Catherine said that due to their being "lucky enough" to be privileged, it was her and her late husband’s responsibility to work to put something back. His father, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, initially sent him to Ireland to grow potatoes to learn about humility and hard work as a young man. The Princess described the heartbreaking position of being in Iraq after the first Gulf War and the trade embargo, "watching all those children really dying in front of our eyes because they had no medicine or food. Sometimes situations are too far beyond your control. With animals you can maybe try more and succeed more. They have no voice whatsoever," she said. "When I remember being young and wearing a fur coat, I was only 45 kilos, but I looked like a bear!" she said incredulously. Bemoaning the revival of the animal-derived product she said, "It’s everywhere now. People saying ‘Look at me, I’m rich.’ It’s only insecure people who need to wear fur. Insecure and nouveau riche." A lapsed vegetarian, she has no intention of trying to force vegetarianism on the world. "It’s generally a way of using everything," she explained. "With cows you eat the meat and then you use the skin. I have no problem with leather. It has to be used. Imagine if all those millions of skins every year weren’t used…imagine the results!" The Fur Alliance is composed of 35 humane and conservation organizations worldwide, but PETA isn’t one of them. Princess Catherine, who is not in favor of militant activism, will be unlikely to be found unfurling a banner on a Gaultier runway, instead favoring a system of change through education. "We provide people with the information and let them do what they feel is right with it," she stated simply. The winning posters from the Design Against Fur competition will be used by the Alliance’s members to increase awareness around the globe. The Princess likes fashion but has found her allegiances to certain designers have had to change over the years. "I used to buy a lot at Valentino but then I just had to stop because he fell in love with fur. For a long time I only wore Armani but now he’s started to use fur – rabbit, I think -- which is such an unfortunate fur to use," she said sadly. "Couturiers, they have enough money. They don’t need more money from fur." If there’s one little moment in the Princess’ life that has stuck in her mind and has changed the whole outlook of her life and her belief in a balanced world, it was a simple response from a Spanish journalist who declined an offer of more coffee. "I had what I needed," the woman replied. "It remained with me always", the Princess said, "it was the wisdom not to possess more than one needed." http://www.fashionwiredaily.com/articles/article.weml?articles_link=12575
Fur – out of the closet
By Valerie Gibson, Toronto Sun, June 2, 2003 NEW YORK – Spring may not be the time of year many think about next winter’s fur coats, but in the world of anti-fur activism, the time is never wrong. It was certainly the right time for design student 21-year-old Marc Choi from Virginia to think about the role of fur in fashion. He was recently chosen as the winner in the first-ever international Design Against Fur poster competition organized by the Humane Society of the U.S. as part of the International Fur Free Alliance. The North American section of the competition attracted 250 entries from college students all over America who are involved in fashion design, graphic arts or multimedia. No Canadian colleges participated despite being invited to do so. Entry criteria was to produce a poster that would find a new, innovative and inspired way to express the message that the killing of animals for their fur is cruel and unnecessary in the modern age. Students were asked to design a poster as well as a concept for an advertising campagin that would cost $100,000 US. Top fashion designer Todd Oldham, New York cartoonist Patrick McDonnell (Mutts) and myself were among the panel of judges who gathered in New York to pick three winners. Choi’s striking design of a clothes hanger with a stark drawing of a fox hanging from it and the slogan “fur. hang it up for good” was a universal choice for first prize by judges. He won $1,000 US and a trip to Paris, France, in the fall. Then all the winners from the North America, Europe, the U.K. and Ireland sections will compete for the top prize of $5,000 and the opportunity for the poster to be distributed internationally. Choi, who wants to be a graphic designer in the music industry, said he was “surprised and overwhelmed by his win considering the very high standard of all of the entries.”
Search for Mr. Right has gone to the dogs
By Valerie Gibson, Toronto Sun, May 20, 2003 ...So even before I met cartoonist Patrick McDonnell, I knew he [must have] a kind, generous heart. That's because anyone can tell this from the delightful comic strip he creates – Mutts – which is one of the the world's most loved and most successful cartoon series. It features Earl the dog and Mooch the cat, two very lovable characters that definitely look at the world from their own animal point of view rather than as "pets-as-people". It's a strip that, despite its relatively recent creation in 1994, has already gathered numerous top honours from the cartooning and comic book industry and won devoted fans all over the world. The late Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip, said Mutts is "one of best comic strips of all time." Which is praise indeed, especially as far as McDonnell is concerned. "I was mesmerized by the early cartoons such as Peanuts, Popeye (E.C. Segar) and Krazy Kat (George Herriman)," he says, "and being a cartoonist was something I've wanted to do since I was three or four years old." We met while in New York judging a Design Against Fur poster competition organized by the Fur Free Alliance and the Humane Society of the United States. We bonded right away. But that's easy to do when you're both avid animal and nature lovers and with his easygoing and humourous nature, McDonnell obviously endears himself to everyone. "He's a wonderful man", said Pat Regan, director, Humane Society of the U.S. Fur Free Century Campaign. And he's loved and respected not just by humane societies but with animal shelters everywhere as he often uses his comic strip to help raise awareness of homeless and abused animals. In fact, he's won the Ark Trust's Genesis Award several times for "outstanding contribution to animal protection by a cartoonist" and is now also a member of the Board of Directors of the Humane Society of the U.S. because of his work. McDonnell fervently believes humans should take great care of all animals. "It's tough for them on this planet," he says and smiles when I ask if he has pets like Earl and Mooch...
Ad-Savvy Students 'Design Against Fur'
by Jenny Bailly, Fashion Wire Daily, NY, April 18, 2003 While the average consumer probably doesn't have mink on the mind this time of year, that doesn't mean anti-fur crusaders are letting up on their efforts. Last week the Humane Society of the U.S., as part of the International Fur Free Alliance, gathered judges at Felissimo Design House in midtown Manhattan to pick the best entries in its first-ever "Design Against Fur" competition. The international poster art and advertising competition was open to more than 3,000 college students majoring in graphic arts, fashion, design or multimedia, and the winner will have the opportunity to have their poster distributed internationally. Students at schools from Parsons and Pratt to University of Wisconsin and Southwest Missouri State jumped at the chance to participate. With more than 200 entries to choose from, fashion folk like designer Todd Oldham and CFDA associate director Lisa Smilor joined such graphic design experts as New Yorker cartoonist Patrick McDonnell to pick their top three choices. "Eco-stylist" Danny Seo was also on hand to select his favorites and pass out the "FF" rhinestone necklaces he made so popular during the Sundance Film Festival this year. The winners -- first prize went to Marc Choi of James Madison University, followed by Johna Caggiano of Parsons School of Design and Christine Coscia of F.I.T. -- will be feted at another event at Felissimo on April 28. Both Seo and McDonnell agreed during the judging that they were veering away from the more graphic (as in, well, bloody) images in their choices. And sure enough, Choi won for a poster that pictures a simple drawing of a fox slung over a hanger and reads, "fur. hang it up for good." Coscia snagged third for her stark image of a camouflage T-shirt underneath a hooded coat and the words: "You are what you wear." But this is just the beginning. Next up is the European leg of the contest, which kicks off in Milan on May 15 and then moves to London on May 21. The first-prize winners from each of the three competitions will be flown to Paris this fall, where the grand-prize winner will be selected to receive $5,000 as well as international distribution for their poster. Perhaps no anti-fur campaign is as famous as PeTA's "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ads. On Wednesday the animal rights group gathered followers in front of fur-friendly Macy's Herald Square flagship to unveil the latest in that campaign. American Idol Vanessa Olivarez (she was kicked off the show on the March 12 episode) has joined the ranks of Kim Basinger, Christy Turlington and Pamela Anderson in baring all for the non-profit group. The slogan in her ad reads: "be comfortable in your own skin, let the animals keep theirs." Olivarez made headlines early on in the competition when the curmudgeonly Simon Cowell told her she needed to lose a few pounds. | 
