I have to admit to being a complete and utter fashion victim. But that doesn’t mean animals have to be victims as well. Tim Gunn, the genius behind one of my favourite fashion shows on TV, Project Runway, couldn’t agree more. That’s why he has starred in a great new video for PETA US, exposing the shocking truth behind the use of animal skins in the fashion industry, and asking Donna Karan and Giorgio Armani to forego fur! The style icon’s narration of this exposé includes footage obtained from rabbit fur farms in China, where Karan and Armani both source their pelts. Watch the video and read more about Tim’s compassion for animals here.

But before you go anywhere, check out this exclusive Q & A with the man himself here!

Please, somebody tell me they also shed a small tear when Fiona Phillips presented her last GMTV show today? As she choked back tears during her goodbye to 15 years of ’sofa chat’, the morning-TV icon said, “It’s been so special sharing my moments with you. Thanks so much and I won’t forget your kindness.” Well Fiona, in return, we thank you for your kindness and for choosing to live compassionately as a vegetarian.

Last year, Fiona was crowned PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity and thanks to quotes like, “I would have no hesitation in recommending a vegetarian diet to everyone!” we’ve all had a bit of a soft spot for her ever since. With a work schedule requiring her to get up at the crack of dawn each morning, it’s no surprise Fiona’s diet is packed with fruits and vegetables – giving her lots of energy and keeping her figure trim.

So with all this energy and extra time to use up, we totally think she should come and volunteer at PETA so we can still get our daily dose of Fiona time. I mean, think about it; the animals will benefit, she will fill up all those extra hours, and I can’t pretend that the guys wouldn’t love hanging out with one of the world’s Sexiest Vegetarians.

Tell us what you think below: What should Fiona do with her spare time?

Image: The Sun / CC

With The X-Factor pulling in millions of viewing figures for every show, it’s safe to say that the public loves Simon Cowell. But what I hadn’t realised was quite how much… In a recent poll of 1,600 under-10s, when asked the question ‘Who is the most famous person in the world?’, the answer was not ‘God’. The answer was not ‘The Queen’. No, these came second and third to the man himself – Mr Simon Cowell.

And with his compassion for animals, we’re loving the kids’ answer! Simon has worked with PETA on a number of occasions, and my personal favourite is his anti-fur ad to the right. Simon knows that killing animals for fur items is cruel and unnecessary, and after all – if you wouldn’t your best friend why any other animal?

But that’s not all. The so-called ‘Mr Nasty’ also teamed up with us in 2006, when he starred in our ad urging people to avoid leaving dogs in hot cars during the scorching summer months. He said, “Far be it from me to be critical, but I find it really appalling that this year, thousands of dogs will die of heatstroke inside parked cars.”

You go, Simon!

As the year draws to a close, it’s a time to sit and think about what we’re grateful for. Here at PETA it’s Leona Lewis, so that’s why we’ve named her our Person of the Year 2008!

It’s been a huge year for Leona, what with being literally the world’s hottest pop sensation and all. Not only has the X-Factor starlet won and been nominated for more awards than you can shake a stick at, including four – yep, count them, four – BRIT Awards, she has gone on to become one of the most in-demand artists of the year, breaking international charts with her catchy singles. But what excites us the most, is Leona’s non-stop caring for animals, and how she doesn’t let her skyrocketing music career get in the way of her ethics.

Thanks to her vegetarian lifestyle and commitment to vegan fashion (Leona is in the process of setting up a fashion line using no skins whatsoever, dontcha know), this compassionate Brit earned herself the crown of Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity in our poll earlier this year, along with Red Hot Chilli Peppers legend, Anthony Kiedis. So far, so good. But then she goes and places a big, fat, juicy cherry on the top by publicly shunning a £1million deal with ‘luxury’ department store, Harrods, because they continue to sell fur.

So, Leona, here’s our way of saying a huuuuge ‘thank you’ for speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for choosing compassion over cash, and sticking to your principles. Enjoy your award!

Image credit: Jackson Lee/Starmaxinc.com

Not that long ago, our favourite comedian, Ricky Gervais, wrote to Gordon Brown about the MoD’s continued use of bearskins for the Queen’s Guards’ caps. When The Office legend, and now Hollywood star, learned that it takes the entire hide of one Canadian bear for each cap, he was so shocked he immediately put pen to paper and demanded answers.

Well, Mr Brown responded to Ricky’s letter and frankly, it’s pretty depressing reading. While he supposedly “completely understand[s]” Ricky’s feelings on the matter and agrees “that this practise should be ended as soon as possible”, he joins the MoD in their frankly-getting-quite-boring-now spiel about not finding a “suitable” alternative because of the “complex characteristics” of black bear fur. WTF? I’m not hearing much understanding there. And neither is Ricky.

So he popped another letter in the post to our dearest PM and you can read it in full here. In it, he explains, “Please know that the MoD have sung this song for years, leaving PETA with the job of finding a material that essentially must be bearskin in all respects (e.g., it must shine like bearskin, not shine more than bearskin, stand up like bearskin, be able to be brushed in the same way as bearskin and be impervious to this, that and the other).

“As long as bears are shot for the caps, the MoD must surely be compelled to establish a timeline of some urgency within which they will phase out the fur caps. Would your office be so good as to prod them with a stick?”

And they really do need a good prodding. Check out this scandalous undercover footage of racist hunters that the MoD could be supporting when buying the bearskins. Does Gordon Brown really want to get mixed up in that?

Image: Capptions / CC

One of America’s hottest reality TV stars, Khloe Kardashian of Keeping Up With the Kardashians has posed naked - and she really is butt-naked! - for a new PETA ad against fur. Oh, to have a figure like that…

You can watch her interview with PETA US here and click on the ad to enlarge!

Unlike some celebrities, who rely on helping companies flog dead animals in a bid to revive a failing acting career, Victoria Beckham, a.k.a. Posh Spice, has a heart of gold and a fashion sense to make any girl turn green with envy.

Snapped wearing a convincing faux-fur, Posh proves to wannabes and furry celebrities everywhere that you don’t need to wear the skin of a slaughtered animal to look good. According to a source in the Daily Mail, she is “very firm on the subject of fur” and joins the likes of everyone’s favourite designer, Stella McCartney, by pledging “to never work with fur in any of [her] own collections.” Bravo!

Image: CriticsRant / CC

I simply couldn’t have written this better. Here’s what The PETA Files had to say when they found about Liz Hurley’s nasty little penchant for fur:

Love it.

Image: Harper’sBazaar / CC

Who doesn’t love 3rd Rock From the Sun? Sure, it’s reeeeally American, but I used to relish racing home to watch it on BBC2, providing me with countless hours of silly giggles. That’s why I’m so excited to announce PETA US’ new naked ad with the impossibly gorgeous 3rd Rock star, Kristen Johnston.

In a sexy homage to Lady Godiva, Kristen has bared all to become the latest star to campaign against horse-drawn carriages in New York City. Posing nude on top of a prop horse, the award–winning actor appears beside the tagline “Don’t Get Taken for a Ride. Horse-Drawn Carriages Are Cruel.”

Kristen was inspired to get involved with PETA US’ campaign after attending a New York screening of the film Blinders. “Well, my friend Jackie saw the movie Blinders and was really affected by it. She’s one of my best friends, and she asked me to come to the New York premiere. And I went, and I was blown away by the story and how these horses live – or actually, I should say, don’t live.”

Horses used in the horse-drawn carriage industry are deprived of everything that is natural to them, and are forced to walk the streets, pulling heavy loads in all weather conditions. You can read more about this and watch Kristen’s interview at Peta.org.

Here’s a note from PETA US’ Senior VP Dan Mathews, on Gwyneth Paltrow’s fur faux pas back in August:

“This weekend in Miami, with friends from Ocean Drive magazine (which runs PETA ads free of charge), I attended the grand reopening of the swanky Fontainebleau Hotel. I was able to chat with vegan mogul Russell Simmons and had a word with fur offender P. Diddy, but the nicest surprise was hearing Gwyneth Paltrow explain that she regrets having posed in a fur stole in an ad for Tod’s, which has appeared in magazines everywhere this fall.

After I told her how out of character it seemed for an eco-friendly, pro-vegetarian friend of Stella McCartney to so publicly promote fur, gracious Gwyneth replied, without a hint of defensiveness:

“That was awkward, and I’m glad you asked, because I do not wear fur at all. It was a daylong photo shoot on a boat near Capri, and there were all sorts of poses with all kinds of clothes—none with fur. During one set-up, a stylist came up from behind and draped a stole around my shoulders. I didn’t pay much attention to it, and when I noticed it was fur I assumed it was fake fur but did not ask, so it’s my fault. I was very surprised when they ended up using that one shot out of hundreds for the centerpiece of the Tod’s ads. I know it’s not a great excuse, but I hope you and your members understand.”

I explained that something similar had just happened to Kate Winslet who was led to believe that the fur rug she posed on for Vanity Fair was fake, and the magazine publicly apologized when the issue became public. It seems that the fur trade is so desperate to push pelts into magazines that they have resorted to doing it on the sly.

At the end of our conversation, Gwyneth said that although she understands why fur gets so much attention, she thinks vegetarianism is something people should focus on more. She said that both she and her husband Chris Martin are pretty much vegetarian, saying, “We know it’s the best diet for us and our kids, and of course for animals and the environment.” I’m sending her a link to GoVeg.com. Who knows—maybe one day she’ll use her lovely voice to speak up for PETA’s “Meat’s Not Green” campaign.”

Image: Babble / CC