On the day of Floating Island’s international debut, 200 protest fur fashion show…
FENDI’s second big show in Asia after the 2007 show at the Great Wall of China not only attracted a lot of media attention and consumer applause but also hundreds of anti-fur protesters.
Several actresses and models from Hong Kong, China and Japan, including Zhang Ziyi and Hana Matsushima, were seen at the show but Korean celebrities were nowhere to be seen. “No Korean celebrities came to the show, which means that they knew what the public sentiment was. I am hoping that they will make less appearances in fur items from now on. I also hope that Seoul City and other government organizations will be more cautious in holding such events,” said Park So-yeon, head of Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth which led the protest.
After weeks of protest that nearly led to the show’s cancellation, the Italian fashion house acceded to the city’s request to trim the fur from its catwalk. Seoul officials initially backed out after animal-rights activists threatened to protest at the unveiling of Floating Island on the Han River, the event’s venue, but Fendi insisted that fur was part of its DNA. Facing an impasse, the opposing sides struck a compromise: Fendi would replace a portion of its fur garments with less-controversial accessories and establish a scholarship program for South Korean designers.The use of vivid colors and simple cuts in FENDI’s 2011 F/W collection was linear and modern in the signature FENDI style but protesters managed to sneak in and scream “No Fur! No FENDI!” at the beginning of the show were a distraction towards the larger issue and were dragged out by the guards.
When Silvia Fendi, the company’s creative director, arrived, she was faced with jeers and protest from the 200 plus crowd outside the venue. She however said that she understands their ire.
“We respect different beliefs,” she said. “We did a collection of fake fur several years ago but found it is the most polluting thing for the environment. Pesticides and bleaches are used to produce cotton garments. Many anti-fur campaigners eat fish and meat and wear leather shoes. Fur is a most natural thing and was used as the first garment. My grandmother stopped buying white and spotted animal furs. We are trying to find a solution.”
Michael Burke, CEO of FENDI, thanked Seoul City after the event in a statement. “I am glad to have chosen and introduced ‘Design Seoul,’ a rising fashion capital, and Han River which is a historic spot of Korea, as we did on the Great Wall in China in 2007. I would like to express my gratitude to Seoul City and everyone for your support to the event,” said Burke.