Peta, the animal rights organisation, came out in support of Asos’s move to update its animal welfare policy. “The global online retail platform is reflecting a profound shift in public attitudes towards the rearing and killing of animals for fashion,” said Peta U.K.’s director, Elisa Allen. “Consumers are changing the face of the industry by demanding that designers and retailers offer clothing and accessories that look beautiful without harming animals.”
Asos’s policy states the site’s point of view. “Asos firmly believes it is not acceptable for animals to suffer in the name of fashion or cosmetics,” it reads. “Asos is committed to working with industry expert groups to support the ongoing research, development and implementation of animal welfare standards and transparency in the leather supply chain.”
These materials in question are believed to have an impact on the animals concerned. Some cashmere goats are said to be the subject of enforced winter shearings, meaning they are exposed to harsh temperatures, while it is believed that some angora goats are mutilated to produce fluffy mohair. The production of silk, meanwhile, has seen manufacturers boiling silk worms inside their cocoons.
Asos follows Zara, H&M and Topshop, who all pledged last month to stop using mohair, but takes this further, suggesting that this is an issue close to the hearts of their target market, typically young shoppers in their 20s.
