Some West Hollywood Retailers Think the Fur Ban Is "Super Annoying"

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West Hollywood recently became the first city to officially put a ban on fur, and though it won't come into effect until September 2013, retailers in the area are already expressing their grievances.

The NYT spoke with a few stores that are super peeved, and opinions ranged from calling the ban "ridiculous" to "super annoying." Reportedly, the John Varvatos store in the area is thinking of moving, as is the boutique Arcade. And wardrobe stylist Cary Fetman—who spends a lot of time and money on furs for Joan Rivers—will just head to Robertson Boulevard or Rodeo Drive. He says: "I refuse to shop where I have to wonder whether or not I'm missing something. The whole point of going to these boutiques was that I knew they were carrying this person's whole line."

But of course, not everyone is pissed. Animal rights groups are quite happy, and PETA's spokesperson Lindsay Rajt says: "These days, fur is falling out of favor with most designers. I think West Hollywood is setting a tremendous example for other cities to follow." She also says that she will not throw paint on you if you do wear fur. "It's much more effective to tap a woman on the shoulder and tell her she is too lovely to be wearing the skin of an abused animal than to douse her in red paint."

Many shoppers, too, are pleased with the ban. Lauren Frenkel told the Times, "It's a social statement. If people learned more about fur, then maybe they wouldn't buy it, and this makes them think about it." But then, there were some shoppers who liked fur and didn't want to go on the record about it, for fear that "animal rights activists would retaliate against them."
· A Cool Reception to a Ban on Fur [NYT]
· West Hollywood Banning Fur Sales [Racked]