Wednesday, September 7, 2011

MSFW Gala + PETA protesters

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Lady Melbourne, Danni Minogue and me at the pre show VIP bar.

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Old pals Tutu Crazy, stylist Connel Chiang and Lady Melbourne.

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Current season Project Runway Australia peeps Craig and Matcho.

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Designer Yeojin Bae and Lady M looking beautiful.

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I wore:

Blouse Vintage pussy bow blouse from Savers years ago $3
Skirt Cheapo number bought at Ginger Tree in Little Collins Street  that day for $39
Shoes Shoobiz Dimitri red winklepickers from ShoesSales.com.au $89.95

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I love these shoes so much, and before you comment yes they are 100% vegan, no leather at all so they get a huge tick from me.

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Its always exciting to see what Emman, Johnny and the boy from Swallow Glitter wear. Nothing like this exists in Sydney.

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I love the DIY re-make attitude of Melbourne, its very much where my heart is.

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Amazing customised necklace.

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Aviary by Phillip Adams' BalletLab. Millinery by Richard Nylon and costumes by Toni Maticevski.

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Christine.

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Nicolangela.

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Arthur Galan AG.

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Yeojin Bae.

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Dom Bagnato.

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Thurley.

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Gwendolynne.

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Aurelio Costarella.

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In lieu of Rachel Gilbert's collection I bring you snaps of the PETA protesters who gatecrashed mid runway. Whilst the Rachel Gilbert pieces on show didn't feature fur, Rachel Gilbert has used fur in her collection and PETA is pissed off.

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They walked up and down the runway shouting "Fur is Dead" over and over, stopping the show while security  worked out a way to end the protest peacefully. Audience members booed and front row fashion identities yelled out insults to the protesters, saying things like "your shoes are leather", "get off the stage fat pigs" and . Fashionising's Daniel P Dykes tweeted "No slim girls PETA?" WHAT is with the comments on their appearance? I understand the shoes comments as often when arguing for or against fur the issue of leather is brought up, but to clarify about the boots in question I spoke to the protesters after the show and they are 100% vegan boots (as were all their shoes). BUT the comments on their appearance is seriously embarrassing and makes me cringe at the industry I work in. Respected fashion designers yelling out "fat pigs" to people, who as the MSFW organising body stated, have a right to peacefully protest, makes me seriously question everything.

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The protesters pointed out an audience member wearing fur, she was lucky they didn't have their famous red paint with them.

The majority of comments being yelled around during the protest were based on the argument that the protesters were wearing leather (which they weren't). Leather is more often than not a byproduct of the meat industry, which is a hugely regulated industry with measures in place to ensure a humane end to the animals life (at least in this country). Yes the animal is still dead, but the thinking is at least you are using the whole animal and nothing goes to waste. I am a vegetarian who doesn't eat meat (including seafood) but I eat dairy and eggs when inside something (a cake for instance) but not directly by drinking milk or having a hard boiled egg...its very particular. I have been a vegetarian for 17 years. I do not expect nor want everyone in the world to have the same views as me, I just want to have respect for both sides of the argument and to be able to share my thoughts. Recently I have been thinking more and more about going the full hog and becoming vegan, but what holds me back is the difficulties in everyday life when so many things have animal products in them. Take beer for instance, did you know that fish gills are used in the filtering process? Or even milk, have you thought about why cows are lactating all the time? Milk is a byproduct of the veal industry as in order to produce milk a cow needs to calve, so many people balk at the idea of eating veal but they drink milk. Essentially this whole conversation can go round and round in circles and there is no clear cut right or wrong, other than the idea that the animals should be treated humanly in both life and death, I'm pretty sure everyone can agree on that. That is why fur is singled out over leather, as the fur industry is hugely unregulated and the life and death of the animal is often painful with the end of their life involving being skinned alive in order to protect the fur. I am against fur for that reason, and also because here in Australia fur is completely unnecessary, the weather here doesn't get cold enough to warrant a fur coat and fur trimmings are (personally) just an excessive abuse of power. My opinion may not be popular, but it is mine and I have consistently spoken about these issues on my blog. I buy/wear leather shoes and belts very very occasionally as sometimes my love of fashion overtakes my moral values because hey, I'm human and don't always remember to check the materials! I think I'm doing pretty well though, but yes I have friends who wear fur and leather (lots who freaking love the stuff) and sometimes I get photographed with goats at parties even though I'm totally not into animals being treated as props (even if they're trained to do so). In the end it comes down to individual choice and you have the right to wear, eat and say what you like, but you do have the responsibility to make informed decisions.

27 comments:

  1. Oh come on, "vegan-friendly shoes" is just another term for "I'm cheap as hell, buy shit quality faux-leather shoes that are going to fall apart, and I'll gladly partake in this consumerist cycle!". No need to repeatedly toot your own horn when it comes to being 'animal friendly', especially when you don't even acknowledge that the very 'vegan' polymers you exalt happen to have incredibly toxic petroleum by-products.

    Seriously, Hayley, just buy two, three pairs of good leather shoes and keep it at that: a decently constructed pair will last you forever. It's literally the safest option in terms of environmental impact. Toxins aren't the lesser evil here, just bite the bullet and wear leather.

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  2. peta never goes about things in a respectful orderly fashion, they've gone after my elderly grandmother-in-law in new york, dirtbags

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  3. As a fellow vegetarian I admire your passionate stance on this. I don't respect anyone who tries to push a view of any sort into someone else's face, but there has to be a form mindfulness of the other view -even if it is not agreed upon. Yes image has nothing to do with the matter, what a shallow come-back. Try Coopers Pale Ale :)

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  4. I LOVE that skirt!

    It's a bit shocking as to what people were yelling out, sometimes this world can be a crappy place and those girls, whilst protesting, shouldn't have to be verbally abused in such a way.

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  5. Leather is NOT a by product of the meat industry, the by- products and offal become fertiliser (blood and bone) Leather cows are very different to meat cattle and there is not a lot of Australian killed cow-hide leather on the market. The ofal and carcass of the leather cattle also become fertiliser or in India especially, get burnt.

    I'm proud of anyone who has the balls to stand up for what is right. It's about getting people to question what they think. Everyone has the right to wear what they like but is it honestly worth putting the suffering of animals to the back of your mind? If you had to electrocute and skin a fox, would you be proud of the way you look wearing it's fur?

    Thanks for a compelling blog post, I hope your message can help others make moral decisions.

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  6. Fabulous post!
    1- Can I use the pics of me on my blog? and 2- can I also use an extract of what you've written?

    I agree, it's compelling!

    Cheerio,
    LM xxx

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  7. I respect your stance on this, but I can't see why PETA has to bring themselves on stage and disrupt someone's hard work. They are more than welcome to protest outside the venue, on the sidewalk, in public spaces, but stepping onto a runway in the middle of a fashion show someone has painstakingly designed and coordinated is disrespectful and antagonistic.

    While I don't agree with the reactions of the crowd, the PETA members protesting the way they did doesn't make their actions or their cause endearing to the very people they should be encouraging to create change. There are definitely better ways to have a civilized discussion about the use of animal products in the fashion industry, ones that don't include walking in the middle of shows or red paint.

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  8. Fashion Hayley! You are awesome - love your style. You hit the nail on the head with the PETA protesters. I was ashamed and embarassed with all of the comments about their appearance and weight coming from the crowd. A sophisticated lot I think not. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I applaud MSFW's stance in allowing them to have their say. Keep up the excellent writing!

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  9. Good on you Hayley for putting this issue out there.
    How embarrassing for that girl in the front row, I would be mortified.. With that being said, I wear faux fur and have a faux fox fur tail hanging off my bag.. does that mean they would target me also?

    www.shardette.com

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  10. Good on you for commenting on this, Hayley, but please be careful about what you're claiming about different food industries. The dairy industry and the veal industry are quite different, and to say that milk is a by-product of the veal industry is simply incorrect. Dairy is a stand alone industry. Yes, dairy cows are lactating due to calving, but the calves are not born simply to eat - farmers would much rather a valuable herd replacement (female) than a calf to go to the choppers (male). I appreciate you bringing up such issues in a public forum, but I repeat, be careful what "information" you're regurgitating.

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  11. I love your skirt!
    And I totally agree with you that the protesters have a right to speak up. I have seen videos from fur farms in China and I was absolutely horrified. If desperate measures are needed to get the message across, I fully support PETA as long as they stick to non-violent action (which I think it is part of their policy to do anyway).

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  12. It makes me sick that the PETA protesters were attacked for their appearance. It just reiterates the horrible stereotype (reality?) about the fashion industry and the people within in.

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  13. I want to begin by saying that I would NEVER, EVER wear fur. I think it's disgusting and I can't even touch a fur jacket without feeling repulsed.

    HOWEVER, I have to say that I agree completely with kittenmasks. MSFW is a very carefully organised event, and hundreds of volunteers have spent many, many hours working very hard to help make it happen. Barging in, in the middle of a show, jumping up on stage and making a nuisance of yourself is not going to change anybody's attitudes. To be honest, they just made themselves look silly.

    Yes, a change needs to occur in the fashion industry - fur is wrong, and with the high quailty of faux fur nowadays, there is really no need to kill innocent animals so cruelly. But the only way to make these changes a reality is to actively inform, and alter people's perceptions, and this is just simply not what PETA did last night.

    Yes, they made a scene, and yes, they certainly got attention, but I can tell you now, that not one person in that audience that owns fur went home last night and reconsidered their support of the fur industry. Not one.

    No one likes having other peoples ideas shoved down their throats, if anything, that just makes us angry.

    If PETA REALLY want to make a difference, if they REALLY want to change people's ideas about the use of fur, then they need to rethink their behaviour, because at the moment, they are just being annoying, silly exhibitionists.

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  14. What are your views on faux-fur, Haley? I'm in two minds about it, obviously it's cruelty-free but does it perpetuate the demand for real fur? Same question applies to vintage or second-hand fur. I would never buy new real fur but I do have some faux items. I just wonder if buying and wearing faux encourages less informed people to buy real. What do you think?

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  15. I could not have said it any better! I agree 100% with everything you said because I'm in the same boat -vegetarian but I eat eggs and drink milk.
    I don't believe in wearing fur but I probably do have shoes with leather for the same reason. I wish it was easier to not buy leather shoes. I try not to wear leather jackets or skirts though.

    It's always a awkward moment at work when a customer will try on one of our faux fur coats and asks for my opinion...I don't like fur as a look because even if it's fake it's based on the trend of real fur.

    my love for fashion and love for animals definitely has many conflicting moments...
    good post, I'm following you now.

    http://littleblackbeau.blogspot.com/

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  16. I'm not sure how I feel about the entire situation but the fact that people were yelling at the protesters about their appearance and weight makes me cringe and I couldn't agree more that it casts the negative light on the industry that a lot of people already stereotype it with, its all just very embarrassing :(

    Thanks for sharing and your photos are amazing! X

    http://caityj-says.blogspot.com

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  17. I have to say I 100% agree with kittenmasks, to create change you have to encourage, using violence or other repulsive means won't get the action one wants.

    I don't know much about the industry (meat, milk) but I do weather leather, love the smell of leather, and I do eat meat, occasionally, I just hope and wish it was all done in such a manor where the animal does't suffer, I really have mixed feelings and views on the whole issue.

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  18. What a great post, and great to see you are not afraid to voice your opinion. The fashion industry has a minefield of ethical issues we could discuss, fur and animal products being just one. I admire anyone that has the guts to take a stand for what they believe in (as long as no-one gets hurt!) The audience members also have a right to their opinion but to pick on the protestor's appearance that's just silly! They obviously couldn't think of a mature way to respond.As consumers, we can do our part by taking responsibility for our purchases by thinking about who we are actually supporting a bit more carefully and look into where and how they manufacture , who they are owned by etc.

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  19. I'm also a vegetarian but I've never tried to convert someone. I think there is enough information out there for people to make up their own minds. I think the way PETA goes about protesting isn't very effective most of the time.

    Disrupting a show, it's a little bit disrespectful in my opinion. However, when you wrote what people were calling out to them, "fat pigs" I thought.. "what the fuck?" that is honestly so pathetic and such a bad argument. Like what does their weight have anything to do with what they're doing?

    I realised a while ago that a lot of fashion conscious people, who are 'up there' are pretentious, shallow, fucking jerks. I know it sounds extremely harsh, but at the end of the day, it's true. I've experienced it first hand quite a few times.

    It pisses me off, because ever since I developed my own 'style' and got in to fashion, not once did I judge people because of what they wore, not once have I looked down on someone during a discussion or conversation because of what they have chosen to wear. Many of my friends would have no 'style' through a 'stylish' person's perception but that doesn't make me think less of them as a person.

    The fact that so many 'stylish' people have that mind frame makes me sick. To me they are inferior and pathetic on the same level that they believe other 'non' stylish people to be.

    Sorry for the harsh rant, but I've had these thoughts for a while. Of course, not everyone is like that but I've met enough 'fashionable' people to realise that a lot of them are.

    - Sophie
    http://darkvice.net

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  20. Thanks so much for shedding light on this issue. I think in this day and age it's pretty crazy what we do to animals, for food, fashion or anything else. From the comments here and over at Lady M's blog, it's clear that this is a very heated issue so I admire your courage to share your views!
    Amanda
    amoderngirlslife.blogspot.com

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  21. once again fashion hayley shows her absolute lack of knowledge on a subject!

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  22. Wow nice blog by fashion hayley.it is really nice to wear leather jackets.They are showing the different fashion of leather.....

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  23. I had to write after reading Penny Lame's comment. I wonder if Penny realises the nature of a "personal blog". Perhaps, Penny - instead of making a redundant dig at someone, you should actually present an opinion.

    That being said - I enjoyed this post Hayley. Your photos are lovely and I always like to read passionate posts.

    Whether I agree with a passionate post or not - I think that a person who stands up and states their feelings is doing something brave. Your post is much braver than a single line sentence that doesn't actually say anything.

    You look stunning, here, by the way.

    Em. x.

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  24. Couldn't agree more Penny Lame.
    Hayley, I can kind of see what you're trying to get at but, unfortunetly for me you are missing the mark.

    Protesters have every right to protest, but peacefully always wins out in hindsight, Gandhi ring a bell? Perhaps taking this to the streets instead of a private event would have been a more mature approach.

    As for ethical fashion I hardly think you are one to judge. Many of the clothes you buy or endorse are the products of cheap labor and cheap materials. As others have pointed out "vegan" shoes are made from crude oil - think how much of the wild life and environment is harmed in extracting and intensively refining this. Same goes for any of the synthetic fibers you wear. Same goes for the red patent shoes you bought/were given recently. The packaging that all these things come in too... I would rather know my shoe maker, trust that they choose a better choice for the environment and I wouldn't mind a bit paying for these extras if it is a quality item. Sure it means I may have only 1 pair of shoes but at least I kow I've made a positive choice.

    Of course everyone has to choose their battles, and PETA have chosen the fashion industry which is fine but there is no need to single out individuals such as the lady in the front row - for all PETA know that fur could have been "faux" (another crude origin material, and for what to appear to be a "killer") or a piece handed down with sentimental attachment or picked up at an Op Shop. It comes down to hearing different view points and understanding differences, something which PETA hasn't got a grasp of. Discussion and resolution rarely begins with verbal abuse.

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  25. That looks so great! That's definitely something I want to look into doing. :)
    makeup artist in Sydney

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  26. I really like your opinions on it all. Although I am not vegitarian I have been considering the move to vegitarian and eating mroe vegitarian food. I dont like fur and will never wear fur.

    also the leather comment doesnt make sense to me because you are exactly right leather is a biproduct of a highly regulated meat industry and the animals are killed as humanly as possible. So long as the leather is coming from that regulated industry.

    I am disgusted in the designers calling them 'fat pigs' that makes me very upset. fashion and style should have nothing to do with a womans size and their body has nothing to do with what they are protesting.

    I like what Peta are doing and I applaude those girls that can stand up for what they believe in.

    I also believe wearing fake fur promotes real fur in fashion. so I wouldn't wear fake either.

    Thank you for this post and helping people see what the protest is about exactly and how silly comments baout thm wearing leather is and thta the point is about fur being obtained by unregulated industries skinning animals alive.

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