Kylie Jenner recently wore a dress that featured the head of a lion on it. The brand told us that the dress was made from "hand sculpted foam, wool and silk faux fur, and hand painted to look as life-like as possible, celebrating the glory of the natural world."
They emphasized that "NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN MAKING THIS LOOK."
Although the brand asserts that no animals were harmed in the making of the dress, this image perpetuates the idea that it is acceptable to kill wild animals for fashion and promotes the exploitation of farm animals in the wool industry. This perpetuates the notion that it is acceptable to harm animals for fashion, ultimately leading to these creatures' continued harm and exploitation.
Can you imagine wearing the head of your beloved puppy on your dress to honor him/her?
Of course not!
So why is it okay to wear the head of a wild animal?-
The hunting of lions and other wild animals is a serious issue, as it not only causes harm to individual animals but also threatens entire species with extinction. The lion population, for example, has been decimated in recent years, with only an estimated 20,000 remaining in the wild. (source:panthera.org)
The wool industry is also causing harm to animals. Some of the main concerns include:
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Mulesing: A surgical procedure in which skin is removed from the back side of a sheep to prevent flystrike. Mulesing is considered a painful and inhumane practice, and many animal welfare groups call it to be banned.
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Shearing: Sheep are often sheared in crowded and unsanitary conditions, which can lead to injuries such as cuts and abrasions. The animals are often sheared too close to the skin, causing pain and discomfort.
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Transport and slaughter: Sheep that are no longer useful for wool production are often transported long distances to be slaughtered, often in overcrowded and inhumane conditions.
Living conditions: In some farms, sheep are kept in overcrowded, dirty, and unsanitary conditions, which can lead to diseases, parasites and poor animal welfare.
(Read more about the wool industry in this article by Style With A Smile)
It is important to recognize that fashion choices have real-world consequences.
By wearing clothing or accessories that feature the image of wild animals, we are inadvertently promoting the idea that it is acceptable to harm these creatures for our own gain. Instead, we should be promoting the conservation and protection of wild animals and choosing clothing and accessories that do not contribute to their harm.
This can include choosing items made from sustainable materials or those that feature images of animals in their natural habitats rather than those that depict them as hunted or trapped.
The brand of the dress featuring a lion's head described it as depicting the emotions of lust, pride, and avarice. However, these descriptions are far from the true nature of lions which are powerful, intelligent, strong, courageous, or even sometimes lazy. The designer's choice of words reflects how hunting for fashion is perceived as something luxurious and rare, therefore, desirable. The adjectives used reflect the high prices and the difficulty of obtaining such a product rather than a tribute to the animal itself.
It is crucial that we consider the impact of our fashion choices and make conscious decisions that do not contribute to the harm of wild animals. In this case, despite the designer's claims that no animals are harmed in making the dress, Kylie Jenner's dress normalizes hunting and is unacceptable. The lack of a statement against hunting from the brand implies that the purpose of the dress was to glorify it.
Kylie Jenner's dress may not have been able to make a statement against wild hunting, but we can!
So, let's share this message and tell the world that hunting wild animals for fashion is not acceptable.
