PETA Teams Up With Project Runway, MTV Designers to Educate Fashion Students About Fur
Just as design guru Tim Gunn is widely praised for bringing fashion to the mainstream through the hit TV show Project Runway, he's also getting kudos from PETA for bringing awareness about animal issues to students at Parsons The New School for Design, where he is the dean of the fashion school.
In a groundbreaking program that's now going into its third year, PETA is reaching more up-and-coming designers than ever before with our humane message by giving Parsons students the facts about fur, leather, and wool production.
This fall, PETA will give a presentation to the entire fashion school, which will include video footage showing how minks and foxes are trapped, drowned, or electrocuted for their fur and how cows and sheep live and die in factory farms for the leather and wool trades.
Gunn told fashion industry newspaper Women's Wear Daily, "I felt it was important to give students both sides of the story and let them be aware of both sides of the issue."
MTV Fashion Coach Is 'Anti-Fur'PETA is also teaming up with hip young designer Rob Younkers, a 2001 Parsons grad who is now an instructor at the school, to encourage students participating in the junior class's annual fashion show to explore modern materials like ultrasuede and synthetic shearling as well as traditional fabrics like cotton and linen. Younkers' students will be mentored on their PETA-sponsored projects by designer Marc Bouwer, who doesn't use fur or leather in any of his designs.
Younkers, whose innovative, animal-friendly creations include flagrantly faux "anti-furs" made of torn nylon and denim, has dressed a host of celebrities and worked with Patricia Field, costume designer for The Devil Wears Prada and Sex and the City. Younkers' Saks Fifth Avenue collection made its debut in the fall of 2005, and this summer, Younkers made his TV debut as a fashion coach on MTV's Made.
Recently, Younkers뾵ho joins the ranks of top fashion designers who don't use fur, including Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, Betsey Johnson, Katherine Hamnett, and Marc Bouwer뾱poke with PETA about his career and why he keeps fur out of his fashions.
How long have you been a fashion designer?
I started at Parsons The New School for Design in 1997 and graduated in 2001, yet designing clothing is something I have done for as far back as I can remember.
Did you go to school for fashion design? If so, was there any pressure to use fur?
I majored in fashion design at Parsons. There was no pressure to use fur, but the opportunity did present itself in school projects as well as competitions sponsored by fur manufacturers.
Did you ever design with fur professionally? If so, what made you stop?
To be very honest, I have designed with fur in the past. I think as a young designer, fur represented to me something that superficially epitomized glamour and wealth, but as designers, we present our point of view, and our clothing should be a reflection of our beliefs. I realized some time ago that the whole idea behind an animal's pelt being glamorous seemed cruel and not in tune with my point of view as a young designer.
When did you first become aware of the cruelty involved in fur production?
The reality that cruelty is involved in the production of fur is really an obvious truth, considering the animal must be killed in order for people to wear it. I think there are certain cruel realities in life that we are taught to become immune to and just accept, fur being one of these realities. Seeing PETA ads and demonstrations caused me to face the situation and look into it further. I realized, how could I work with or wear fur when I can't even step on an ant or kill a fly?
What inspired you to create your "anti-furs?"
The "anti-furs" were created more to show a modern version of glamour than to be a political statement. I wanted to show the chic woman who is fond of fur that you can be just as glamorous and chic in something much more modern and less harmful to the world around us. It's a much more environmentally friendly and fun statement to show up in a luxurious "anti-fur" than some heavy coat made of animal pelts!
What are the anti-furs made of?
The anti-furs are made of many layers of hand-shredded denim and nylon. Each jacket is constructed and then shredded individually by yours truly!
What would you say to other designers who use fur?
I think each designer has to be an artist and have their own point of view. I am not one to push my beliefs on others, but all designers want to make the world a more beautiful place through their own aesthetic. I have to ask, what part of killing and wearing an animal is beautifying our world?
Who do you look up to as style icons?
I am so lucky to have been surrounded by amazing women from the time I was born. My mother is incredibly stylish and definitely has influenced my style. My grandmother represents the best of what I consider to be the chicest era ever, the 1950s. Some women that I would love to dress in Hollywood are Ellen Barkin, Juliette Lewis, and Jennifer Connelly. They are all incredibly talented, and their work really inspires me.
Where does your inspiration come from as a designer?
As a designer, I don't have an on/off switch; inspiration can come from many things at random times. I think a lot of my inspiration comes from the time I spent living in Italy. Design is something based upon lifestyle, and I love the flair for style many Italian women seem to have and express so naturally.
Do you have any companion animals?
The love of my life is Valentina. She is a 3-year-old beagle mix I adopted from the shelter at 8 weeks old. I am not sure of her exact mix, so I refer to her as my "beagle supermodel," particularly for her tall, lean frame and very chic attitude!
What's next for you career-wise? Are you currently designing a collection?
I am currently working on various projects, the most important to me is developing the Rob Younkers New York line. I am hosting trunk shows and introducing women to what I am calling "the perfect jacket." I love the idea of having an item that can function in the modern woman's wardrobe, something she can wear days, evenings, and weekends뾡ress-up or dress-down뾥ence why it is "the perfect jacket"!
