File this one under, "ok, I see you". Clothing designer has come up with a new fad or way to push a not so subtle anti-fur message, dead animal accessories and apparel.
Peppard's London-based fashion line, RP/Encore, uses taxidermy to turn dead creatures, namely rodents and vermin, into wearable accessories. Many have serious issues with just how "wearable" her pieces are, however, which range from full-on rat headpieces to pigeon feather necklaces.
Peppard was studying fine arts at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London when she became interested in taxidermy. For her, it seemed a natural marriage to combine her skills as an artist and taxidermist, and she sees her work as walking the line between fashion and fine art.
To be clear, you can take comfort in the fact that no animals are suffering for fashion here. Peppard, who is a vegetarian, uses animals that are "victims of roadkill, pest control, or natural death," with the occasional use of a feeder rat.
The fashion pieces from the line include, purses made out of the body of a rat, headbands made from dead pigeons, and, as pictured above a hair comb made out of a dead guinea pig. With all the pieces every attempt is made to preserve the appearance of the source material, eyes are left intact, heads are left intact most even displaying the gruesome "face of death" as pictured above.
So is this a designer trying for a new fad? Or is this a designer with an agenda? I get it. I do. Technically, there is no factual difference from wearing a hair comb with a leather handle than the piece pictured above. They both feature pieces of some animal's dead body. Only difference, the normal leather wrapped hair comb is heavily processed to remove any trace of its animal origins, where with this piece you get an up close and personal "in your face" reminder of the origins of your headgear. I suppose, that this is actually more honest. If one is going to be a consumer of animal products, why should you not see it for what it is? Only thing. This is not attractive. It's ugly. Death is ugly, and scary, and unattractive. Fashion, for the most part, is supposed to be attractive and fun. A hair comb made of half a dead rodent with a face of death is not attractive. Is that shallow? Yes. Is that maybe a little hypocritical? Probably. But that's what it is.
For better or worse, humans are on the top of the food chain, as such we have the privilege of using other animals for food and clothing if we choose. Is it unpleasant to the animals? Absolutely. Should we refrain from using animals for these things? No. It is a viable option, an option in many parts of the world that is necessary. As long as the use of animals is done humanely and responsibly with little waste and harm to our environment as possible, it should remain as a choice for those who wish and need to use it.
