Earlier this week, U.K.-based online consumer clothing site ASOS declared that it will no longer make available items made from down, feathers, cashmere, silk, and mohair. ASOS also set its sights on suppliers by telling them that they won't accept wares created from vulnerable species, adding that various types of fur, horns, bone, shells, and teeth are also on the list of materials that will not be stocked. What will be accepted by ASOS, for now, will be wool, leather, and hair which are considered to be meat industry by-products.

The ban is slated to be effective as of January 31st, 2019.

ASOS announced the sales ban in the wake of a series of investigations launched by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In particular, they were looking into the mohair industry, and the organization found a number of South African farms were mistreating the goats they shear for their hair. In 2013, ASOS also discontinued the sale of items with angora fur when similar accounts of animal cruelty surfaced in the industry.

Other retailers have responded with similar bans as a result of PETA's field work including Gap Inc., H&M, Mango, Primark, Topshop, and Zara. In the case of fur being sold by high-end brands, the likes of Gucci and Michael Kors have also stopped creating and selling wardrobe lines containing the material. On the upswing is vegan leather, which is being championed by such designers as Stella McCartney and Cath Wills.

The fashion industry isn't the only sector that's responding to PETA's findings. For decades, a number of cosmetic companies have refused to sell products that either contain animal by-products or have been tested on animals. Annabelle, Ecotools, Jane, Jordana, and Prestige are some of the businesses that have followed PETA's guidelines. Still, many of the larger cosmetic movers and shakers, such as L'Oreal, Avon, Maybelline, and Revlon admit they test their products on animals but in only very rare cases.

Thank you to ASOS for doing their part in combatting animal cruelty! What do you think of these changing policies? Let us know in the comments!

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Gene Kosowan (44 Articles Published)

Gene Kosowan has been a writer and editor for more years than he cares to admit, having contributed to Music Express, Avenue Edmonton, Alberta Venture, YP.ca, gigcity.ca, Edmonton Journal and several satellite television publications across the continent. He’s also been managing editor at alternative newsweeklies SEE Magazine and Vue Weekly as well as a stay-at-home copy editor for Avenue. That was until he stumbled upon Valnet Inc, to which he contributes to several of its sites regularly. During downtime, Gene likes to experiment with guitars and synths, his way of deflecting the fact that he has no talent whatsoever on those instruments.

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