Friends of Animals Calls for Boycott Until Basso Ditches the Real Fur
QVC‘s Star Faux-Fur Designer Dennis Basso Profits from Massive Animal Exploitation through His Multinational Fur Empire
International animal advocacy organization Friends of Animals is urging fashion designer Dennis Basso to leave the animals exploited for his fur designs in the skin they were born in, and to transition his multinational fur empire to one using entirely faux-fur garments Dennis Basso is currently the premier seller of faux-fur on home-shopping network QVC, where his affordable and elegant outerwear and accessory designs, and home goods are incredibly popular and some of the highest-selling and top-rated on the network—he’s even launched his own fragrance line on QVC, the glass bottle decorated with faux-leopard fur.
“In spite of his fabulous faux-fur reputation on QVC, Dennis Basso is also known as the “furrier to the stars,” and his Madison Avenue boutique is filled with the pricey skins of mink, foxes, coyotes, rabbits, wolves, chinchillas, lynx, sable, alligator, raccoons, goats, and other animals that are trapped, snared, shot, clubbed, gassed and electrocuted, all to produce frivolous garments and trim for which alternatives exist and which Basso already uses for his lucrative faux-fur designs, “says Edita Birnkrant, NY Director of Friends of Animals.
Friends of Animals calls on its members and supporters worldwide to boycott Dennis Basso’s entire product line on QVC, until he drops the use of animal skins from his company.
“While we applaud his decision to sell only faux-fur products on the QVC shopping network, we also believe that Basso is in a unique position to transition to an entirely faux-fur line, in addition to ceasing the use of suede and leather in his designs,” says Valerie Kaye, Communication Director for Friends of Animals.
Conscientious shoppers purchasing Dennis Basso’s faux-fur designs from QVC are unwittingly funneling money into Basso’s multinational fur empire. This conflict can easily be erased if Basso were to become a fur-free designer. QVC bears responsibility for the designers they profit from and promote on their network: Friends of Animals asks QVC President and CEO Michael George to urge Dennis Basso to make the switch to faux-fur in all his designs
Elena Bass, resident of Steelton, PA and a longtime QVC shopper informed us that she was looking to buy a faux-sable coat and in an internet search came across a QVC Dennis Basso coat she liked. But to Elena’s horror, she discovered that Basso is also a major designer of real fur by clicking on a link to an article about NYC’s Fashion Week that showed a photo of a real chinchilla coat designed by Basso.
Elena explains, “Before that, I had no idea that Mr. Basso used real fur. When I told my friends, they were shocked; they didn’t know either.” In fact, Elena says she used to buy Dennis Basso pants on QVC and loved the way they fit, but now says, “My QVC card is empty since I found out about this. I won’t buy anything from QVC until Mr. Basso changes. And I had no idea QVC would even consider selling products by someone who uses real fur in his designs. I thought that fight was over.”
Elena adds, “I can’t believe that QVC would be so archaic in their thinking. Most reasonable people understand that there is no need to wear real fur anymore.”
Whether trapped in the wild or bred in captivity and skinned, real fur has no place in an enlightened society, and the tremendous popularity of Dennis Basso’s faux-fur designs on QVC shows that the public believes the same.
Rack after rack of Basso’s fur skin designs once belonged to animals that were born in that skin. It belongs to them, and so does their freedom. Other animals, like us, deserve to live free of exploitation and harm, and we urge Dennis Basso to join the modern era and become the premiere purveyor of extraordinary faux-fur garments to the stars.
Please contact QVC CEO Michael George and designer Dennis Basso, and tell them you pledge to boycott their products until Dennis Basso ditches real fur.
QVC Incorporated, Office of the President
1200 Wilson Drive
West Chester PA 19380
Phone: 1-484-701-1000
E-mail: bj.mitchelle@qvc.com
Dennis Basso Couture Inc.
765 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10065
Phone: 212- 794-4400
Fax: 212-288-2947
E-mail: info@dennisbasso.com
33 Comments
On November 23, 2012, Allan Yorkowitz wrote:
These are pictures of nothing more than glamorous cave women.
On November 23, 2012, Sue L. wrote:
I hate seeing this. It isn’t beautiful it’s horrible.
On November 23, 2012, Daniela Bress wrote:
Anyone who wears fur in these days should be ashamed of being able to breath and is just another proof of human imbecility, ignorance, inability to feel compassion and perversion.
This human being - really a lower creature with far too much inferiority complexes which need to be compensated by prestige items!
On November 23, 2012, Elisabeth Bechmann wrote:
only animals have the right to wear fur
On November 23, 2012, Joe Myers wrote:
Please discontinue the use of animal skins in your operations.
On November 23, 2012, Vladimir Tarlo wrote:
Boycott these suppoters of animal cruelty and barbaric fur industry.
On November 23, 2012, William Swinneu wrote:
Fur is very very cruel, please stop
On November 23, 2012, tye block wrote:
This is disgusting.
On November 23, 2012, marlene Dinkins wrote:
this is impossible we need to stop this, the animals are suffering too much,
On November 23, 2012, Nimue Pendragon wrote:
“Fur is worn by beautiful animals and ugly people” Stop using fur, it’s wrong.
On November 23, 2012, Romila wrote:
I hate to see these furs for me it is cry and blood of animals nothing more than agony I try to send email to qvs but my email system stop this email did not send through you I can send. Please write a petition and get it signed by animals lovers.
On November 23, 2012, MARTHA LIBIA PEÑA HERRERA wrote:
DEJEN DE MARTIRIZAR A LOS ANIMALES POR SU PIEL, NO ES ETICO ES SANGUINARIO, MASACRAR A LOS ANIMALES SOLO POR UNA EXHIBICION, ESTAN MANCHADOS DE SANGRE, DE LA SANGRE DEL SUFRIMIENTO DE MUCHOS ANIMALES, SON INHUMANOS. ES QUE NO TIENEN CREATIVIDAD? TIENEN UN CEREBRO MUY PEQUEÑO QUE NO PUEDEN REALIZAR UNOS DISEÑOS EXCLUSIVOS SIN MASACRAR ANIMALES. LA IGNORANCIA TAMBIEN ES SALVAJISMO.
STOP torturing animals for their skin, it is unethical, is bloodthirsty, slaughtering the animals only for a display, are stained with blood, the blood of suffering of many animals, is inhumane. YOU DO NOT HAVE CREATIVITY? HAVE A VERY LITTLE BRAIN CAN NOT MAKE exclusive designs without massacring ANIMALS? IGNORANCE IS ALSO savagery.
On November 23, 2012, Bettina Riedel wrote:
I own some furcoats from a long, long time ago, and I am so embarrassed to ever wear them again. When I look at them, all I can think, how awful, that I did not know 20 years ago how
these poor creatures got killed. My cats sleep on them now.
On November 24, 2012, Amy Elepano wrote:
Only animals have the right to wear fur.
On November 24, 2012, Frans Badenhorst wrote:
This is just WRONG!!!
On November 24, 2012, bruna ghezzi wrote:
uncivil people
On November 24, 2012, Helen A. wrote:
Fur is for animals!
Go fur free!
On November 24, 2012, marialoreto landi wrote:
shame sacrifice for this schiocchezzze a living being
On November 24, 2012, soubigou wrote:
Stop use animals skins to make MONEY!!!!!
On November 24, 2012, r manek wrote:
Stop killing for fur in the name of fashion. it is cruel. leave the animals in the skin they were born with.
On November 24, 2012, Muriel Servaege wrote:
This is horrible, there is no other word. Go fur-free. Only deeply insensitive, hollow people can find it great to wear real furs.
On November 24, 2012, Lorri LaCas wrote:
How about your company selling your skin? Wow you are not viewing this distasteful killing and using fur of these animals which may be a pet to a consumer. wow wonder if it belonged to you or a child? Tisk tisk Dennis I would not buy this item on qvc or anywhere else. Boooooooo to qvc and participators!!!!
On November 24, 2012, Sonnta Simon wrote:
Only animals have the right to wear their fur. Everyone else is a disgrace.
On November 24, 2012, Carol wrote:
The fur trade was big business in the era up to the 1970s and has only been carried on by insensitive people and vain people who think they look beautiful in real fur. Well they don’t. Ii agree with the person who said they look ugly. It’s time they stopped this cruel practice. The famous people that wear these real furs should be publicly shown and i think they will lose a lot of their popularity. I blame governments too for not outlawing these awful practices which at the end of the day are done for money and vanity with no thought for the animals and the cruelty they have to suffer
On November 24, 2012, Rebeca Overaas wrote:
Please, be creative making your products free of animal suffering. Be creative, use your brain and try to be human!!
On November 24, 2012, JTS wrote:
How sad that these women still think they look good in murdered animal skins. How much shame should the industry feel? The Dark Ages Live On.
On November 25, 2012, Teresa wrote:
Money grabbing murderer! I pray you lose everything you own, for you have certainly lost your Morals!!
SHARED
On November 25, 2012, Susan wrote:
I am about to close my usually very active QVC (UK) account because of this article. I have never bought anything “Dennis”, but now I won’t be buying anything from them in future.
On November 25, 2012, Gillian Devine wrote:
This is a disgusting industry. Boycott companies that deal in fur. These poor animals are subject to inhumane and cruel treatment - it must stop and Governments must legislate to ban this fur trade.
On November 25, 2012, Winn wrote:
This industry should go out of business.
On November 26, 2012, Dresia Vaughn wrote:
Stop killing animals for their fur. If people stop buying furs, then that would put you out of business. If you want to make fur, make fake furs. There is a way instead of killing animals for their furs. How about taking the skin off of rapist, and people who murder for a dam pair of shoes and make coats out of them. The love of money truly sucks and if I had my way, I would put you out of business and many others like you around the world for good.
On November 27, 2012, Val Kaye, NY Communications Director wrote:
Thank you all for your support.
Please be sure to call and e-mail both Mr. Basso and Mr. George and urge them to stop this barbaric practice!
On November 29, 2012, Holly wrote:
I want to scalp him and make a coat out of HIS hair! See how he likes it!