‘Angora Is Torture!’ PETA Supporter Leads Pro-Vegan Disruption of Michael Kors Event

For Immediate Release:
September 11, 2023

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

In front of celebrities including Olivia Wilde, Jesse Williams, and Nina Garcia, a PETA supporter brandishing a sign proclaiming, “Michael Kors: Angora is Torture!” confronted the designer at a post-runway show VIP meet and greet and urged him to end his use of both angora and cashmere—hair torn from tied-up, crying bunnies and goats, respectively. Video and photos of the disruption are available here.

“Every archaic angora wool or cashmere item represents the pain and suffering of rabbits or goats whose hair was viciously ripped out while they were still alive,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA made a surprise appearance at a celeb-filled gathering with Michael Kors on behalf of animals who suffer for clothing and the many conscientious consumers who want to see designers showcase sustainable vegan fabrics only.”

A PETA Asia investigation into the angora industry found that rabbits’ feet are tightly bound and they’re restrained as workers rip out their fur for angora. They end up wounded by the sharp cutting tools as they scream in pain and struggle desperately to escape. They endure this torture every three months—and many suffer heart attacks from the stress. One farmer said that 60% of the rabbits die after only one to two years.

Another PETA Asia investigation reveals goats screaming in pain and terror as workers tie their legs together, pin them down, and tear out their hair with sharp metal combs, sometimes leaving them with bleeding wounds. Once the goats no longer produce enough hair to be profitable, workers bash them over the head with a hammer and slit their throats. At one slaughterhouse, goats were seen moving for four agonizing minutes as they slowly bled to death.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”— opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.