Alice + Olivia is a well-known name in women’s fashion. It is sold in nearly a thousand stores, and has 56 of its own boutiques worldwide. It is also one of the only American retailers that sells clothing made from the fur of tortured animals. Its founder and designer, the notoriously unstable Stacey Bendet, is a dietary vegan who says she knows that wearing fur is wrong, but just doesn’t care.
And Alice + Olivia is also going to be the next American retailer to drop fur, whether Stacey knows it or not.
That is because Alice + Olivia is now marked as the top target of anti-fur activism. So as long as we all work together, there is no question whether we will win. The only question is how quickly. And the answer depends on how frequently and how forcefully we act – as well as our geographic distribution. We must fight on as many fronts as possible.
We beat Monique Lhuillier in fourteen days. With that momentum, we are now moving onto this larger company. And once we beat Stacey Bendet, we will move onto the next, larger designer. There are only a few left before we totally end the sale of fur by large American retailers.
We held our campaign kickoff today at A+O’s Los Angeles flagship store on Melrose. Twenty activists stormed the store, speaking up for the animals via our megaphones, and calling attention to our message via airhorns. The single employee present refused to speak to us, and disappearing into the back of the store.
We announced the launch of a national campaign against Alice + Olivia, and let the employee know that as long as Stacey Bendet sells fur in her collection, we will be outside of every store to speak up for the animals that are murdered on fur farms.
We had not been asked to leave, but voluntarily moved outside after five minutes or so. And our demonstration did not last even thirty minutes more, before the lights in the store were turned off, the doors were locked, and the employee went home.
As a result of our short protest, Alice + Olivia closed a full hour and a half early. There is no doubt as to the fact that they are not prepared to deal with the strong voices of the modern animal rights movement.
We will win. History shows that we will win. Our strategy is smart, innovative, and shown to work. Our architecture, one of total autonomy for grassroots organizations, ensures a diversity of creative tactics. Our passion and dedication can match all the money in the world. Our campaign is prepared for attrition, with plans representing multiple methods of escalation. The last ingredient is you.
Stand with us. We will never tell you what to do – and we will always help you in whatever way you need. And we promise you one thing: if you take action against Alice + Olivia, you will see results, and know that you were part of achieving them. This is how we dismantle the fur trade on this continent. Come make history with us.
