People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has slammed Next for using mohair in a fashion range of suits modelled online by Gary Lineker.
The BBC sports presenter, 62, has cropped up in online adverts for the high street retailer, posing in various positions while wearing a £225 mohair suit.
Campaigners have lashed out at Next for ‘profiteering’ off the controversial wool, as they say mohair is obtained through ‘cruel and inhumane’ processes on Angora goats.
Yvonne Taylor, Peta’s vice president of corporate projects, said on Friday: “Most shoppers would be disgusted that mohair jumpers and suits are made from the hair of abused goats who cry out in fear when they are pinned down.
“Their hair is scraped right out of their bodies with metal rakes, leaving them shaking and covered in bloody wounds.
“Goats are prey animals and are terrified of being held immobile, vulnerable and defenceless.”
A steady stream of high street stores have banned mohair, including Marks & Spencer, Gap, H&M and Zara.
Presented with details of widespread animal abuse in the South African mohair industry, Peta claims Next promised to stop.
Yet the retailer continues to sell the £225 Signature Barberis Italian Mohair slim-fit suit and Lineker continues to profit from the partnership.
Taylor continued: “Whenever animals are treated as mere disposable commodities, cruelty is always part of the process.
“The only next step is for the retailer to do the right thing: Denounce the extreme cruelty it is profiting from, remove mohair from all future collections and expand use of animal-friendly vegan material.”
Lineker’s silence is somewhat surprising, for 14 months ago he was all ears for a Peta campaign that aimed to cancel the iconic bearskins worn by the Royal Guards.
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On this issue, Lineker said: “Why would you want someone to place a dead bear on their heads?”
In response to Peta’s outcry, Next has said that it only uses responsibly sourced mohair in its products.
The level of responsibility is certified by the Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS) in its products.
Next told the MailOnline: “We only use mohair that is certified to RMS. All non-RMS-certified mohair is banned at Next.”
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