PETA Global Issue 3

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk models a cozy, down-free Save the Duck parka.

First Vegan Menswear Store Earlier this year, the world’s first all-vegan luxury menswear store celebrated its grand opening in New York. Brave GentleMan offers suits made from recycled cotton/poly tweed and Turkish “future-silk” recycled poly lining as well as suede- and leather-like jackets fashioned from recycled polyester. At the grand opening, founder and creative director Joshua Katcher debuted a PETA video explaining how his “future wool” and all the other vegan materials improve on clothing made of animal skin and hair. Why ‘Future Wool’? PETA’s jaw-dropping exposés of sheep farms and shearing sheds on three continents have revealed extreme abuse that would make you cry: Workers violently punch sheep in the face, beat them in the head with metal clippers, and leave them bleeding and injured after shearing them at breakneck speed without a thought for their welfare. The price of producing wool is way too high for these vulnerable animals. Animals abused by the clothing industry “have a will to live just like you or me, and they fight to live,” says Katcher. “So, as a designer, I’ve decided that not only do I not need to use animals to make fantastic menswear, I think the materials we use are superior.” Outerwear maker Save the Duck also thinks animal friendly materials are superior: Its revolutionary Plumtech insulation outperforms down and earned the company a PETA Innovator for Animals Award. PETA also joined forces with Free People for a vegan fashion “lookbook” featuring vegan leather strappy sandals, a studded moto jacket, lace-up boots, and more. Free People has devoted an entire section of its online store to animal-friendly fashion to meet the demand. Jon Bon Jovi Has a ‘Hart’ for Animals After learning from PETA that in slaughterhouses, workers often slit cows' throats while they are still conscious, Jon Bon Jovi’s Hart N Dagger clothing line replaced animal skins with innovative and trendy vegan fabrics. Take Action Now Dress with care: Always shop vegan. Find dozens of purveyors of vegan wallets, handbags, ties, faux furs, and other animal-friendly clothing and accessories at PETAMall.com .

DRESS RIGHT: DRESS VEGAN! PETA Is Making It a Cinch We have you covered – literally. Clothes shopping, whether for gifts or for yourself, can be more than a fashion statement: It can reflect your values and your belief in not hurting animals. Take a look at the label – if it says “wool,” “suede,” or “silk,” that item began as a living being, so leave it on the rack.

Global 21