Fur or Faux? PETA Goes to War with Kanye and Kelis

Hey Glamazons,


When it comes to fur, the controversy is never-ending. PETA activists feel just as strongly about animals that are slaughtered to produce fur as fur-lovers feel about their right to wear lavish vests and coats.

This conflict becomes even more outrageous when centered around celebs in the Hollywood circuit.

Ostentatious and luxe, furs seem like a match made in heaven for fashion-loving attention-seekers like Kanye West, Amber Rose and Kelis. But recently, their decision to wear fur has enraged anti-fur activists nationwide.

In a blog about Kanye West, PETA activists have resorted to name-calling and mud-slinging to stop him from wearing fur---with little success.

Check out both point of views in a letter from Kelis and a PETA blog about Kanye below.

FROM KELIS TO PETA:

After PETA blasted R&B singer, Kelis' choice of wearing real fur, she responded immediately and adamantly in defense of fur-wearers. Her letter is pretty hilarious in tone (Kelis in general cracks me up!) but some may not agree with her stance on the issue and animal rights, in general. Check out her letter:

Good morning all!

Ok, so you’re gonna love this. The other day I got a personalized letter from PETA! Lol so after some thought I’ve decided to write one back. Goes a little something like this:

There is no humane way to kill anything, let me start there. It’s unfortunate but it’s part of life. With that being said, I would eat pterodactyl if you found some and you told me it was meaty and delicious. And after doing a very minimal amount of research…….

I found out that the founder Ingrid Newkirk is completely batty. I had a feeling but she far exceeded my expectations. I mean certifiably insane! Lol this chicks will is nuts, google it – it’s a riot! Beyond the fact that I think she’s a diabetic, which means she needs insulin, which is taken from lab pigs (I know this because my sister happens to be in veterinary school), which would be completely hypocritical. It’s like don’t abuse animals unless it can help me.

I feel very strongly about a lot of things such as the sweatshops that spin cotton and the blood on their hands. Btw it’s not just the look of fur. It’s warm as hell and feels glorious, ever rubbed faux fur on your body? Nothing luxurious about that. Then the letter proceeded to name artist and designers who don’t wear real fur. Great! More for me! I don’t judge them, don’t judge me.

If I started wearing endangered animals like polar bear or orangutan then talk to me. (Which btw for the record I would not – I do believe in the preservation of endangered species) But the minks and chinchilla that quite honestly are rodents and if weren’t in the form of a coat I would demand they be put to death anyway are not an issue to me. The death of high fashion. Ugh.

I eat meat, and in fact my mouth salivates as I type the word meat! And the paint throwing that’s just ridiculous! What if I was hurling Loubitons and Pierre Hardy’s at every sad poorly dressed person on the street? As right as I may be it’s just fanatical and crazy. And people have the right to feel as they please.

What about art? Survival of the fittest. Natural selection? No let’s just let all the rodents run free and over take our cities. Oh wait they have, NY and LA in particular are infested! Why don’t u save them all from scavenging on the streets and ruining my evening strolls, take them home. Make them pets! Get off my back! Pun intended!

Underpaid minorities picking your vegetables, now that’s fine for you right? Please, fight for their rights. How about the poverty in the communities of brown people around the world. She had the nerve to say (and I quote) “get over it” talking of the issue of black people and slavery in this country verses cows being slaughtered. Is she kidding me? Lol yes she must be. Actually, she’s lucky most black people have real issues to worry about in the U.S and don’t give a crap what her delusional privileged opinions are. But she should try saying that again just for kicks n giggles on the corner of Adam Clayton Powell Blvd in Harlem n see how well people “get over it” lol.

If u want to preach do it about something worthwhile don’t waste my time trying to save the dang chipmunk. Find a worthwhile cause like the women being maimed in these Middle Eastern countries. Or female circumcision. Or women’s rights here in America, we still get paid less for doing the same jobs as men.

Quite honestly if you hate the world so much go live in the forest where no one else has to hear you complain about the perfectly good food chain the good Lord created. Everyone has the right to an opinion, and that’s mine on that! xoxo

FROM PETA RE: KANYE

Outraged by Kanye and Amber Rose's fur jackets worn during Paris Fashion Week, PETA took to their blog to condemn the couple:

The prettiest people do the ugliest things
For the road to riches and diamond rings
. . .
We'll buy a lot of clothes but we don't really need 'em
Things we buy to cover up what's inside

—Kanye West, "All Falls Down"

West apparently lives by his lyrics. The ethical dropout—who horrified voters in PETA's Worst-Dressed Celebrity competition last year—and his sleazy sidekick, Amber Rose, were snapped by paparazzi strutting around Paris in "the ugliest things," indeed. Both were wearing head-to-toe fur, and Amber refused to remove her full-length lynx coat during a show at Paris Men's Fashion Week.

As PETA V.P. Dan Mathews so eloquently put it, "Kanye can't help making himself look like an idiot, whether at an awards show or a fashion show. He and his girlfriend look like pathetic creatures from a shabby roadside zoo."

Pretty heated words! What do you think?

Are Kelis and Kanye socially irresponsible for wearing fur?

Do you agree that the murder and skinning of animals during the production of fur is just "survival of the fittest" as Kelis claims?

Should Kelis and Kanye be able to exercise the right to wear fur without being condemned and attacked by PETA?

Should PETA spend time worrying about human suffering and not the slaughter of animals? Hmm.

For the record, I choose to wear faux fur. Sure it doesn't feel as luxurious (as Kelis points out above), but it enables me to embrace the glamour of a fur coat, vest or jacket without the guilt of how it was manufactured. My desire for fur is outweighed by my horror over how it is obtained---PETA claims animals are skinned alive and even electrocuted to produce fur. At the same time, I have no interest in ridiculing others for wearing it.

Not everyone chooses to take a neutral stance. What's your opinion? Discuss.

Kisses,

Coutura

Brand Your Body?

Hey Glamazons! Alright, we have to confess that when it comes to fashion, we love a good label just as much as the next girl. Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton....nothing excites us more than to showcase our fine fashion labels to all of the public. (My heart seriously stops beating for a second when I see the reflection of my red bottomed Louboutins.)

But, when it comes to beauty, we don't mind pinching pennies because (unless that YSL compact is whipped out at a party where everyone can see or someone just knows the smell of LaMer) no one will even know that our products are super expensive; they can only just assume.

So, we were slightly shocked to see the latest level of beauty "branding": Skin by Chanel, a beauty kit designed by Ryan McSorley. (Yes, we know all about the soon-to-be-released temporary Chanel tattoos. I (Ferocia) think they're very cool and would actually wear it, but I don't think I would take it quite this far!)

This little white pod (etched with the brands label) contains a cleanser, toner and lotion; which seems pretty normal on the outside. However, the kit also has a logo impression that you can wear on your skin. It looks like an eye patch, but you simply place it on for awhile and it leaves the etched Chanel logo into your skin. We're not sure just how long that etched logo lasts, but we're seriously wondering who walk around with it in their skin; it seems almost juvenile.

Here's what designer McSorley had to say about this item: (from notcot.com)

"As with mass-produced commodity products, skin is a means for individual expression - we want to be different and set ourselves apart from the masses. Just as we can define ourselves through the brands of clothing we wear, or the brand of mobile phone we have, we can now define ourselves by the brand of skincare product we use. If you are using skincare by Chanel, you want people to know that your skin is by Chanel, in the same way that Chanel handbags have clear branding, why shouldn't our skin?"

"I chose Chanel due to its strong logo and brand history, and the fact that it is a high end brand. The kit is used at night before sleeping. There is also a headband in the kit, which is tied around the head and worn while sleeping. There is a silicone Chanel logo on the underside of the headband which during the night leaves an imprint of the Chanel logo on the skin, which is visible for a few hours. People can then clearly see that the owner uses Chanel Skincare and not some other brand. Their skin has been branded Chanel...the ultimate fashion accessory you might say?!"

While we're not sure how much this will cost or if (and when) it will be available for purchase, we thought it was very interesting. It's also not very clear as to whether this is endorsed by Chanel (we're assuming that it is) since it doesn't specifically say which beauty products will be included in the kit. (We're also just assuming that these are empty white bottles that you would fill with your own Chanel products; or maybe they're already filled with the products?)

Whatever the case may be, we just thought it was a little bit bizarre. (I mean, I wouldn't actually paint myself red just to showcase my love for Louboutins!)

What do you think? Is this something that you would actually buy? And, if so, why? Discuss.

xo

Ferocia