It is well known. Fashion designer Marc Jacobs uses dead animal products in his creations, mostly leather, fur, that sort of thing. Real fur. Until lately, or it seemed.
Some say — under pressure from animal lovers (maybe, not really) — Jacobs produced a collection for retail outlets stating the fur used was faux. But he got busted.
It was later exposed in a sort of sting operation by the Humane Society that the fur actually came from Chinese raccoon dogs “who are often skinned alive for their soft coats”.
This weekend I came across this tweet.
https://twitter.com/hillarykerr/status/376413566611750913
Ms Kerr tweets for WhoWhatWear.com.
Just in case Jacobs and those like him think — if they think about it all which is highly unlikely — that pony hair or pony skin products somehow come from live ponies or horses, let us assure you that the pony hair and skin come chiefly from the remains of slaughtered horses, and in other instances horses who have died naturally or euthanized and their bodies rendered.
Do not be fooled like Angelina Jolie (if indeed she was) who when asking where the horse hair for her $5,000 Akris handbag came from, was told that “horses get haircuts just like we do”, and believed it. Ms. Jolie said she looked into it because she loves horses. She probably does. But.
In the article about Jacobs Chinese dog fur expose it states:
- Jacobs did not respond to a call for comment, but fashion expert Phillip Bloch predicted fans of the designer would fur-get about the flap.
“He’s a good guy; he’s philanthropic, he cares,” said Bloch. “It’s upsetting to anyone to have that story come out. But Marc didn’t go out and kill the raccoon dogs.”
The split hairs of denial.
Come on Jacobs. Enough. Say whoa to pony hair ball caps. And shoes. And handbags. And . . .
REPORT PONY HAIR/SKIN PRODUCTS
Update
Here are the retail stores we are protesting for selling pony hair merchandise:
Macy’s (Vince Camuto)
Saks Fifth Avenue (Marc Jacobs)
Nordstroms (Marc Jacobs)
If you spot products using pony hair or skins, please contact us with a brief description of the product and the location/store where it is being sold. Or email us at horsefund@gmail.com and upload an image.
RELATED READING
Tuesday's Horse 
The American horses are shipped to Canada and Mexico by the thousands for slaughter. Many of the mares are in foal. The unborn foals are skinned out the same way that unborn calves are treated. All for profit.
LikeLike
ugh. i am a horse fanatic, but i should point out that pony hair is NOT made from ponies. it’s an outdated and confusing term that is still used in the dumb fashion industry whenever cow hide is used that still has the hair on it (the other side of leather). if you look at the descriptions of these items it even says as much! these ill informed campaigns are what damages our reputation in the eyes of the uncaring consumerist public world. get your facts straight before making a call to arms!!
also, to barbara griffith, do you realize how much more expensive and complicated it would be to pass off horse as cow? cow leather is cheap, and no company trying to make a profit would go thru the trouble of slaughtering foals to sell them as the much cheaper cow leather.
LikeLike
Sorry Rory. It is not an outdated term. I myself have interviewed more than a dozen fashion industry people over the past couple of months and we have the facts as they see it straight from them.
You give us too much credit about damaging anyone’s reputation! It is bad behavior, and rudeness, threats and name calling that damages people’s reputation. But as you say, the public is uncaring, so it is all for naught.
LikeLike
You’re correct Vivian, I typed that up quickly without explaining my thoughts. To clarify – the term “pony hair” is still used regularly, but I meant it is outdated in the sense that the material they refer to as ‘pony hair’ has not been made from actual pony hair for quite some time. It leads to confusion in the consumer world (for those of us who care what our clothing is made from) and is just a dumb term. Why call it pony hair when it’s made from cow?! But yet designers continue to do so.
The things you mention certainly damage reputation, but so does inaccuracy and false information. My concern is that in telling people to boycott companies like Marc Jacobs and these stores for selling pony hair when it’s really just cow leather is that outsiders see this and think “well, these people are just uninformed” and the cause we’re trying to advocate is lost due to a lack of credibility. PETA has become a joke in the eyes of many as a result of this sort of thing.
If you find products being sold made from actual horses, by all means protest and raise a fuss (I do!), but this article is based entirely on misconception over a term. The items you have listed here are NOT made from horses, and to claim otherwise is as confusing as what Century 21 did when they got caught selling items as faux fur when the tags on the actual garments clearly state that they’re real fur. I’m no fan of these companies, but for us to win these arguments and make changes we need to be well-informed and not stoop to sensational claims to further our cause.
LikeLike
The way I have always understood it about pony skin it is the hide of new born foals created from the nurse mare industry. Buyers kill the foals and skin them to sell to the the skin to the companies that manufacture the shoes and other products. If these people are trying to pass off pony skin as cow or slaughtered horse they are lying through their teeth.
LikeLike
Thank you Barbara. I know what you mean. Just to clarify:
Hides from slaughtered horses are sold and used for different leathers and other textiles, say for larger areas such as wall and furniture coverings. “Pony hair” products are taken from foals but other horses as well and generally used for fashion accessories such as shoes, handbags, hats, watchbands and bracelets, and many more. And products are not always marked as pony hair.
This is what the fashion industry workers who sell the textiles and have a hand in making the products tell us.
We are still interviewing people about this and are learning more all the time. Merchandise with these textiles generally refer to it as made with horse hair or pony hair.
LikeLike
Sorry to burst your bubble, but what is called “pony hair” is just another name for calf/cow skin. It’s leather with the hair left on. That’s it. I guess if you don’t like leather of any kind that is problematic, but otherwise how is that an issue?
LikeLike
Please read the recommended post. Bubble remains unburst. Thanks anyway!
LikeLike
The facts of the matter are that the Chinese breed animals (dogs, cats) for their fur and for food. These animals are skinned and slaughtered while alive. I have been urging people through newspaper letters, e-mails, twitter, facebook and daily conversations to boycott any retail outlet that sells anything produced or manufactured in the Far East (China, Korea, Nam, Etc.). These Countries have no morals, no respect for human or animals rights. Their treatment of both humans and animals are considered criminal in the Western World and most of the Middle Eastern Countries.
LikeLike
I see what you are saying Frank. BUT …
I hate to say it, but we “know better” or have a higher thought as to animal (and supposedly human) welfare, yet look what goes on in the West. There is a need to do better for the animals and therefore ourselves.
As we have been given the responsibility of care for the planet and all on it, it is smart and our duty to not just know better but to do better.
The slaughterers kill, skin and butcher the animals. Designers buy the skins and fur and make the product. Retailers sell it. The consuming public buy it. Everyone in that thread is guilty of, and accountable for, animal abuse whether directly or indirectly.
LikeLike
Yes, absolutely. That is why I have been looking at labels and if I see made in Korea or China or in the Far East I walk away. The USA is deep in China’s pockets so they allow imports of goods made with animals. The USDA has approved importing China’s poultry. We the people don’t owe China the time of day so…….I boycott all goods from that part of the world.
LikeLike
I got a big catalogue from Saks and it’s filled with animal hair items, pony hair this and raccoon that….I was repulsed…things selling for 3-5000$!!! Ban Marc Jacobs and send notes to Saks… it stinks.
LikeLike
There is either a Saks Fifth Avenue or a Saks Fifth Avenue outlet where I live. If I notice any products labeled “pony hair” or “pony skin” I’ll be sure to report it.
LikeLike
thanks.I recycled the catalogues but maybe i should retrieve it for evidence…it is disgusting. the prices and the items — maybe there are a dozen “proudly” sporting animal hair, fur.
LikeLike
If horse slaughter is so frowned upon in this country, why should Americans be wearing/selling products that come from slaughtered horses? Common sense, right? It flips me off that they are doing this.
LikeLike