New York Fashion Week Guests: Human Woman Skinned Alive To Call Out Coach’s Cruel Use Of Leather

NYFW Photo Op: Woman to be ‘Skinned Alive’ to Call Out Coach’s Cruel Use of Leather

Editor’s note: While cows are sometimes skinned and dismembered while still conscious and thrashing, many animals used in other products than leather, such as down feather pillows and comforters, along with most wool products, are, in fact, also ‘skinned alive.’  In their case this can happen again and again, as their feathers or fur is ‘harvested’ from them over and over again, year after year, as long as they survive.  They are often left to suffer after their feathers are torn out or their fur is shorn off carelessly by usually underpaid and overworked laborers, leaving them with open sores and wounds that can become festering sites of infection.  We discussed the human aspect of the issue with Rabbi Bernhard, who let us know that one of the most infamous factory farms to be shut down in the Jewish community was not shut down for animal abuse but for abuse of their workers.  Long days, few breaks, and low pay were experienced by largely undocumented immigrant workers.  We covered last year’s Coach protest, bringing attending to the plight of animals who suffer for these products, which have all been replaced by more fashionable and compassionate alternatives.  Kindness is always in fashion. 

On Wednesday, crowds outside the Coach runway show at NYFW witnessed a bloody scene as a woman, dressed to the nines in a sleek black dress, screams out in pain as her “leather” is ripped off her back. The spectacle is part of PETA’s call on Coach to ditch its cruel use of skins and embrace the plethora of vegan leathers available today that are trending with consumers.

“Fur is officially out at New York Fashion Week, and leather must also get the boot,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA reminds shoppers that every dollar spent on a leather accessory pays for  violence, and urges everyone to opt for stunning, sustainable vegan materials instead.”

Cows have friends and mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other. Yet cows killed for leather may be skinned and dismembered while still conscious—after they’ve endured castration (for males), branding, and tail docking, all without painkillers. In addition to the horrific cruelty that the leather industry inflicts on animals, it’s a major contributor to the climate catastrophe, water pollution, land devastation, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity. Sustainable vegan leathers are durable and fashionable without the cruelty or environmental destruction of leather.

Coach event. Image Credit – PETA

Coach event. Image Credit – PETA

Coach event. Image Credit – PETA

Coach event. Image Credit – PETA

Banner Image:  Coach event. Image Credit – PETA