More than 500 companies now boast that they don't test cosmetics or household products on animals, PETA says. Michael Petrina, spokesman for the Cosmetics, Toiletry and Fragrance Assn. Furriers say sales are holding steady. PETA keeps a long list of top fashion designers, including Calvin Klein, who refuse to use fur. The Fur Information Council of America has its own long list of designers who do use fur.
Public opinion appears to be shifting toward Klein.
Happily for furriers, opposition softens among those who actually can afford a fur coat. The economy, not fear of blood-splattering protesters, is what drives fur sales, says Stephanie Kenyon, spokeswoman for the Fur Information Council of America. They don't eat meat, eggs or dairy products. They don't wear leather. They don't visit zoos or aquariums, unless it's to protest.