A special birthday gift is on its way to one of the best-selling female recording artists of all time, Nana Mouskouri – who is turning 90 on 13 October – from longtime PETA supporter Stella McCartney: a luxurious, cruelty-free faux-fur coat, created by the designer.
The fur trade is far too violent and ugly for someone as iconic as Mouskouri. We hope this gorgeous gift will inspire her to embrace compassionate fashion and choose only garments that are kind to animals and the planet – the only items worthy of her.
Why Faux Fur?
Investigations into the fur industry have found that animals are confined to cramped wire cages with no access to anything resembling their natural habitats, like grass or water to swim in. Many are severely injured, and the stress of captivity drives some to self-mutilate. At the end of their miserable life, they’re commonly killed by being gassed, poisoned, electrocuted, or drowned.
Why Mouskouri?
PETA and McCartney hope to inspire Mouskouri to follow the lead of other icons who rejected fur, such as Carla Bruni, Michelle Obama, and the late Queen Elizabeth II.
When Mouskouri rose to fame in the early 1960s, fur was still erroneously seen as a status symbol, but over the course of her illustrious career (during which she has sold over 350 million albums, including a collection of Beatles covers), the most influential names in fashion – including Armani, Chanel, Prada, Versace, Gucci, and Burberry – have all sworn off fur.
Countries where Mouskouri has enjoyed huge success, including France and Germany, have banned fur farming. In her native Greece, the industry is in collapse.
What You Can Do
Refuse to wear any animal fur, vintage or otherwise. If you know someone with unwanted furs who wants to clean out their wardrobe – and their conscience – the best thing they can do is donate them to PETA. We’ll use them in our campaigning work.
Speak out against the cruel fur industry, in which millions of animals are killed in horrific ways each year:
