Fur Banned at Norway's Oslo Fashion Week

Fur has been making a comeback on the runways. Fashion designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Gucci, Dior and Donna Karin swear by their use of fur. Even eco-conscious designer Cree McCree uses fur, although she claims that using the fur of nutria (a rodent-like animal) is the environmentally sound thing to do. Fur is not uncommon or unfamiliar on the runway but Norway says that they want to know part of it anymore.

The country has banned fur at the 2011 Oslo Fashion Week which takes place in February of 2011. According to StyleBistro, the ban came with the support of over 200 fashion insiders like the magazine's Norwegian Elle and Cosmopolitan and fashion designers like Leila Hafzi, Thomas Ryden and John Erling Vinnem. Norway may have also been feeling pressure from activist groups like NOAH, a Norwegian Animal Rights Group, by the petition they provided to ban fur at Oslo Fashion Week with over 200 signatures from designers, models, and photographers.

Paul Vastbotten, general manager of Oslo Fashion Week, told the Huffington Post of the fur ban decision, "It has been a very natural choice for us because we do not want [Oslo Fashion Week] to appear as an arena in which to promote products based on the treatment of animals [as] prohibited by animal welfare concerns in several countries."

Although Norway may be trying to set a new precedent by banning fur on the runway, not many other places are following suit. In fact, this is the first time historically that fur has been banned during fashion week. Denmark, Norway's neighboring country has stated that they will not be banning fur from the designers shows during Copenhagen Fashion Week. CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week, Eva Kruse, has said that Denmark has no intention of banning fur and criticized Norway for their choice to ban the product by saying, "If fur farms are shut down in Norway, the production would just move to other countries like China. Then we will lose all control of how animals are treated."

All animal pelts will be banned from the runway during Oslo Fashion Week.

What do you think about the fur ban? Is this the way the fashion industry should be leaning or should fashion include the use of animal fur, pelts and leather? Leave your opinions in the comments section.