West Hollywood Bans Fur in Clothing
West Hollywood, Calif., is a fashion retail destination, but retailers may not be able to sell one certain fashion item there: fur.
West Hollywood’s City Council on Sept. 19 unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting the sale of fur apparel products. The law, which must be voted on again after a second reading, is scheduled to go into effect on June 30.
The proposed law will slice into West Hollywood retailers’ profits, according to a study conducted by the Fur Information Council of America, a trade group headquartered in West Hollywood. More than 46 percent of West Hollywood retailers sell fur apparel products, said Keith Kaplan, FICA’s executive director.
The law could be amended on the second reading on Oct. 3. Exemptions may be provided for vintage clothing stores selling fur apparel.
While the law made for big headlines, some say it might not have much effect on local retailers, which include high-profile fashion houses such as Balenciaga. Fur is not in high demand in West Hollywood, said Isabelle Donola, a West Hollywood resident who recently shuttered her Melrose Avenue luxury boutique, Costella and Donola by Isabelle Donola-IDNYC.
“A fur coat is impossible with this weather,” she said of Southern California’s warm climate. “I never had anyone asking for fur in the store.”
However, animal-rights issues are highly popular in West Hollywood. In 1989, the city passed a resolution to be a “Cruelty-Free Zone for Animals.” In 2003, it banned the declawing of cats.—Andrew Asch
