Fashion Brands Anthropologie and Express Ban Mohair

Fashion retailers Anthropologie and Express recently pledged to no longer use mohair in their collections. The brands banned their use of mohair after an exposé released by animal-rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) revealed workers in a South African factory killing and mutilating crying goats. The retailers joined a number of fashion brands—including Topshop, Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Athleta, Zara, and H&M Group—in blacklisting the animal-derived material. Violence in the mohair farming is perpetuated by industry standards, such as paying shearers by the volume and not by the hour, which encourages them to work quickly, which often results in injuries to animals. According to PETA, the ban’s announcement came after Anthropologie received more than 18,000 letters from supporters of the animal-rights organization. Effective March 2019, Anthropologie will no longer buy or produce mohair products. Express has not yet released an official ban date. “No sweater or scarf is worth the blood and cries of gentle baby goats,” PETA Director of Corporate Affairs Anne Brainard said. “PETA is calling on Forever 21 and all other retailers to join Anthropologie, Express, and other top brands in refusing to support the cruel mohair industry.”