Neiman Marcus Falsely Labels Raccoon Dog Fur ... Again

by Annie Hartnett · 2011-01-05 10:03:00 UTC
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Last January, St. John complained that their former spokesmodel Angelina Jolie "overshadowed the brand." This year, something far more sinister than Ms. Jolie has cast a shadow over the St. John label.

The Humane Society of the United States recently revealed that the fur on a St. John brand jacket was mislabeled on the jacket's tag, and then falsely advertised by retailer Neiman Marcus. The coat was advertised to be made with raccoon fur, but is actually trimmed with raccoon dog fur. Raccoon dogs are part of the same family that includes domesticated dogs.

Now, in my opinion, fur is fur. Dog fur, cat fur, fox fur, or raccoon fur, I don't see a significant difference. But St. John has broken the law by mislabeling this $1,895 jacket. It is illegal to describe a fur garment as from a different type of animal. And some shoppers might not object to raccoon fur, but would be horrified by the thought of wearing Fido's cousin.

Obama only just signed The Truth in Fur Labeling Act last month, which will strengthen the current laws against mislabeling fur when it goes into effect in March. The law carries hefty fines and possible jail time. Neiman Marcus actually agreed to support this bill last year, after HSUS found that Neiman Marcus "faux" fur coats were in fact made from raccoon dog fur. The retailer also paid $25,000 to the HSUS at the time.

I imagine that Neiman Marcus is not thrilled that they've unknowingly been selling raccoon dog fur again. Neiman Marcus advertised the St. John jacket in an eight-page fashion spread that ran in both W and Vogue magazines. It's a pretty public mistake.

If Neiman Marcus wants to avoid this situation in the future, and possible jail time, the store should remove fur completely from their shelves. Sign our petition to tell Neiman Marcus to stop selling fur.

Photo Credit: dcJohn

Annie Hartnett is a writer and animal advocate who has worked for several wildlife rehabilitation centers and environmental programs.

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