Video: NYC Stores Caught Mislabeling Fur

Fashion Week is in full effect and The Humane Society of the United States is watching out for our furry friends, as usual। This morning the organization led a press conference with NY State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal following an investigation that uncovered some big NYC retailers selling unlabeled fur-trimmed garments in violation of state law (which requires that all apparel with real or fake fur be labeled as such, giving shoppers access to product information)। All the big names were on their list, including Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue।

Footage of the investigation shows what may happen to confused customers:

http://gothamist.com/2009/02/16/humane_society.php#

This morning Rosenthal stated that she "passed this law to ensure that consumers in New York could make informed decisions about the type of clothing they are buying. Many people prefer not to wear animal fur, and they should be able to tell at a glance whether an article of clothing is made with fur or not. Retailers have had more than a year to comply with this law, and it is appalling that so many have disregarded it." Just last November the HSUS filed suit against a number of major retailers including Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue for mislabeling fur. The organization's VP Michael Markarian declared that there's "widespread deception in the fashion industry, and consumers simply don’t know whether they’re buying synthetic fur, or fur from animals skinned alive in China." Here's a gruesome look at the fur trade.