French Connection Stops Selling Angora Following Peta Campaign

Fashion Giant Ends Angora Use After One Hundred Thousand Contact CEO to Speak Up for Rabbits

London – After receiving more than 100,000 e-mails from supporters of PETA and its international affiliates who were concerned that French Connection had resumed sales of items containing angora wool, the retailer's website today confirmed that the UK-based international fashion brand has finally committed to a ban on angora.

"We are delighted that French Connection has listened to its customers and joined ASOS, Calvin Klein, AllSaints, Stella McCartney, Tommy Hilfiger, Mango and numerous other global fashion retailers by committing to a permanent ban on vile angora wool", says PETA UK Director Mimi Bekhechi. "Shoppers now know that if a label says 'angora', it means that defenceless rabbits were subjected to having the fur ripped out of their bodies or were suspended in the air as sharp clippers cut into their sensitive skin. Any cruel designers who continue to use this product of rabbit torture can expect to see their profits nose-dive and shoppers head for the door."

PETA Asia's unprecedented investigation shows that rabbits who have their fur cut or sheared also suffer greatly during the cutting process. Their front and back legs are tightly tethered so that they can be stretched out over a board – a terrifying experience for any prey animal. Others are suspended in the air by their forelimbs. Rabbits have very thin skin, and the sharp cutting tools invariably wound them as they struggle desperately to escape. The angora farming industry also condemns these intelligent animals to spend years in isolation in small, filthy wire cages that cut into their sensitive paws and prevent them from carrying out normal behaviour, including exercising and interacting with other rabbits. These are standard practices in the barbaric angora industry. There quite simply is no way to obtain angora responsibly, which is why so many companies have switched to humane, animal-free fabrics which are readily available.

Broadcast-quality video footage is available here. Photos from the investigation are available upon request.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.