Anti-Fur Week, London

Image: Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade

Opera singer Katherine Jenkins is to open the Harrods Sale this Saturday.

She will be given a tour of Knightsbridge in a horse-drawn carriage and will then be responsible for cutting the ribbon, at 9am.

Every year Harrods chairman Mohamed Al Fayed asks a celebrity guest to open the sale and the likes of Victoria Beckham and Eva Longoria have been among those invited in the past.

The Harrods Sale received more media coverage than usual as singer Leona Lewis turned down the £1 million to open the sale as she opposes the stores selling of fur products.

The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade are holding an Anti-Fur Week, with protests across London every day to draw attention to their cause.

I was personally surprised that the Welsh singer had agreed to open the Harrods Sale, although she has said that she does not support the fur trade.

I was contacted by the action group who suggest that those who disagree with Harrods selling fur products should contact Jenkins' agency.

I decided to do so to see what they have to say about Saturdays big event. Tara Joseph from her agency sent me this reply:-

Dear Ffion

Thank you for the email.

Katherine does not support the fur trade. She is simply opening a sale.

Best

Tara

Harrods is by now the only department store in the UK to sell fur.

Katherine Jenkins will be £1 million richer for being the face of the Harrods Sale 2008 but last year she was listed in the Western Mail as earning £6 million, so she is definitely not short of cash.

It is a shame that she did not turn down the offer by making a stand against a store that is refusing to end a trade that is ethically wrong.

Grazia have a great article surrounding fur in the fashion industry. You can have a look at it on the link below:-

http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/talkingpoints/archive/2008/12/16/is-it-ever-ok-to-wear-fur.htm

Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade...my Harrods experience

Images: Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade

I was taking some time out this Saturday to take a trip into central London, to do a couple of 'touristy' things.

I had been to Harrods once as a kid one Christmas, and remember thinking how huge it was in there.

Unlike most things that always look larger than life when your a child and actually aren't that big, Harrods is still huge!

When leaving to head to the Knightsbridge tube station I had absolutely no idea that I would be bombarded by anti-fur campaigners outside the Harrods entrance.

Anti-fur protesters

I am aware of the very influential campaign against companies who make their money from selling fur clothing but had no idea that every Saturday this was going on.

They are furious that Harrods are selling items made from the likes of beavers, rabbits, wolves and squirrels. It remains the only department store in the UK who sells them.

If only I'd known before spending my money

A feeling of utter guilt came over me that I had only five minutes ago spent £5.50 on some food and drink in there. If only I had seen them before entering, I certainly would have reconsidered spending my money.

I have always had great admiration for people who give up their time to protest against things that really do matter. It is a topic that I had never seen being protested against before and I believe that this is the way you can really reach the public like no other.

This along with a number of other issues should be explored much more within the media which would certainly contribute to supporting the coalition against the fur trade.

Even so, I have been convinced this weekend that there are people who really do care about these issues and that the best way possible of touching people is to be public with your opinions.