CAFT is launching a new campaign targeting one of the most influential designers in the world: Rick Owens.
Rick Owens is not your average designer, his label is revered by the fashion world for his dedication to an uncompromising aesthetic and hated by anti-fur activists for his continued use of real animal fur in his collections. While Owens is celebrated for radical, experimental designs shaped by goth and punk aesthetics, there’s nothing edgy or visionary about perpetuating the fur industry’s cruelty. Repeating the same outdated use of animal fur isn’t boundary-pushing, it’s clinging to a harmful status quo. At the time of this article, Rick Owens is currently selling the fur of beavers and minks for a handbag.
Those who come from underground creative movements, including punk and goth communities, know that challenging convention and rejecting exploitation sit at the core of these cultures. Using the fur of brutalized and exploited animals in luxury fashion stands in direct contradiction to those values. By relying on animal suffering to sell over-priced statement pieces, Owens undermines the very spirit of innovation he is known for.
Rick Owens has reached the top echelons of the fashion industry, working with celebrities like Kate Moss and A$AP Rocky. He has boutique locations all over the world and has a dedicated cult following that adores his every move. In addition to this, the CEO of Rick Owens, Elsa Lanzo also sits on the board of directors to the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode – the fashion council that dictates Paris Fashion Week. The bottom line is that Rick Owens has a massive amount of influence on fashion and he is sadly still greenlighting the use of real animal fur to upcoming designers who look to Rick Owens for inspiration.
Starting today, Rick Owens is CAFT USA’s top target. If you have a Rick Owens location in your city, get on the streets and demand that Rick Owens ditch fur for good. With the biggest institutions like Vogue & Harper’s Bazaar going fur-free recently, there is no excuse for anyone to still be clinging to this archaic industry.
There are Rick Owens Boutiques in the following cities:
Miami
New York City
Los Angeles
Tokyo
Berlin
Paris
Milan
Las Vegas
If you do not live in one of the cities above but still want to be involved, please reach out to us! We have some exciting secondary targets that we will be launching soon and there is a good chance we have one in your city. For more information, contact us at [email protected].