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What the Fashion Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

Leather Shoes

While researching Olsenhaus, a brand I was going to write about today, I came across one of the links on their website entitled ‘What the Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know.’ Being incredibly disgusted and mortified by the brutality of animal abuse within the fashion industry, I thought I would post word for word what Olsenhaus taught me and why in fact they are a vegan line of shoes. (My post on those shoes to come. This is by all means far more important than a frilly post about hot eco-shoes.)

Warning…if you wish to be oblivious to the horrible ethics of the fashion industry, don’t read. If you care to be enlightened and morph into a better human being, by all means, read on and prepare yourself for some brutal images.

Pig CrueltyMany pigs are still fully conscious while they are scalded with boiling water for hair removal.

Anal ElectrocutionFur farmers kill animals using cruel methods of slaughter that cause extreme suffering like anal and vaginal electrocution and skinning alive.  (UPDATE:  Fur farm electrocution is now illegal in New York.)

Dog CrueltyDogs and cats in China are being beaten, hanged, and strangled with wire nooses so that their fur can be used for garments and accessories.

Water and Land Contamination Producing wool, fur and leather heavily contributes to global warming, land devastation, environmental pollution and water supply contamination.

'Persian Lamb'To produce “Persian Lamb” the mother sheep is killed just before giving birth and the fetus is extracted for it’s pelt.

mulesingWool production involves Mulesing, a barbaric technique where farmers force and restrain live sheep on their back and slice chunks of flesh from their tail area without painkillers.

Dehorned and Branded CowCows endure castration, crowding, branding and tail docking without pain relief.

For sources of information and in depth reading check out Olsenhaus’s “truth” page.

“The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking.” -John Kenneth Galbraith

“The greatness of a nation and it’s moral progress can be judged by the way it’s animals are treated.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Enough said.

Written by Emily Konkler

Born in a small town in southern Minnesota, which didn’t quite fit her fancy, Emily headed for New York City soon after high school. While living in New York City, Emily's keen fashion sense was harnessed, transforming from a hobby to a quintessential passion. Emily has been involved with the fashion industry in numerous aspects including modeling, styling and managing runway shows.

Emily lives with her boyfriend Matthew and her overweight cat, Sisu, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She enjoys painting without talent, reading into the wee hours of the morning, rubbing Sisu behind her ears, sewing on her new machine, eating curry and naan whenever possible, wearing boots all year round, spending good ol’ quality time with her friends, drowning in organic cotton and giggling with her boyfriend.

Currently, Emily is a fashion design student and works at The Nature of Beauty-an organic beauty oasis, where her love for everything organic has flourished and taken her heart by storm. Follow her on Twitter @thekonks.

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