Published
Feb 4, 2020
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Chinese retailer Romwe under fire for selling real fur as faux

Published
Feb 4, 2020

The UK’s advertising watchdog has penalised fast-fashion online retailer Romwe after laboratory tests revealed it was passing off real fur as faux.


Romwe


Romwe, which has been warned by the Advertising Standards Authority about these issues in the past, has now been listed as a non-compliant advertiser, and may face further sanctions.

The independent tests were commissioned by Humane Society International (HSI), which has made it mission to combat the mislabelling of fake fur.

HSI found at least two Romwe items for sale online marked as faux fur, including a “Flamingo & Slogan Print Faux Fur Detail Top & Striped Pants PJ Set” with a “faux fur detail” that lab tests revealed to contain rabbit fur, and “Black Artificial Mink Fur Ball Earrings” that lab tests confirmed were made of mink fur. 

Romwe, part of a group of Chinese fast-fashion retailers that sell affordable trend-led clothing, says on its website that it does not sell real fur or leather. 

Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK said “It’s completely unacceptable that compassionate consumers setting out to buy fake fur are being misled into buying cruel animal fur. 

“The vast majority of British shoppers want nothing to do with the horrors of fur farming and trapping, but because of mislabelling, shoppers face a minefield trying to avoid it. As long as animal fur can be legally and cheaply sold here, this problem of ‘fake fake fur’ will persist.”

In 2018 the Environmental Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee scrutinised the issue of real fur being sold as faux, and recommended the government to hold a public consultation to consider whether to ban the import and sale of animal fur in the UK.

While fur farming has been illegal in the UK for almost two decades, companies can still sell some types of animal fur, if accurately labelled.

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