Helsinki’s Fashion Week organizers managed, in one instance, to prove themselves antidemocratic, unfair towards the public, and very misinformed with regards to the actual balance present in the fashion industry’s supply chain. This is Cotance’s (European Confederation of the Leather Industry) accusation against Evelyn Mora, the founder of the event and a high-ranking person in the organization of Finland’s Fashion Week. Mrs. Mora is guilty of placing a ban on the catwalk, against all leather products starting from the 2019 edition. Of course, as points out the French edition of Fashion Network, we aren’t talking about an even that is very central to the international fashion system. But good sense and fairness are of paramount importance in all events such as this one, no matter how small. Thus, Cotance wrote a letter dated August 27th, and answers the irresponsible organizers in a harsh manner. First, it scolds them with regards to “imposing their own lifestyle choice onto the public without having consulted it”, which is a typical behavior of certain associations, but very atypical for a fashion show that should promote values such as “freedom of choice, beauty, multiculturalism, and freedom of expression”. Moreover, Evelyn Mora & Co. are guilty of placing faults on the tanning industry which the latter doesn’t have: the usual lie from the ones, (such as PETA, of course rejoicing for the decision), that say that bovines are only farmed for their leather, and all livestock farms are places of cruelty and torture. Fake news against which the leather chain has had to defend itself multiple times. But Helsinki’s fashionistas, ends Cotance, also show their misconceptions regarding tanning’s environmental impact and that of alternative materials. Overall, a mess. There is time to step back and reconsider. Who knows if the Finnish will take advantage of the time.
Helsinki’s Fashion Week wants to stop tanning, Cotance answers: “Unfair and misinformed”
