Anti-fur protesters have demonstrated with signs, noisemakers and fake blood outside the homes of Marc Jacobs employees in an effort to make the designer renounce the use of fur in his collections; there have reportedly been six arrests related to the protest in the last week.
Now the 61-year-old fashion designer is fighting back against the “bullies.” As US Weekly reports, Jacobs took to Instagram on Sunday, June 2, to call out “hostile” protestors after videos surfaced online of his publicist, Michael Ariano, being followed by a group of screaming people who accused the fashion house of using real animal fur.
In a video shared by the Animal Activism Mentorship via Instagram last week, Jacobs’ publicist could be seen leaving a gym as droves of people rushed to his side, holding posters and shouting. “No high-ranking employee or associate of Marc Jacobs is safe from protest until Marc commits publicly to never using real animal fur again,” read the caption.
“Dear Bullies, I feel your hate, anger and pain. I respect your 1st Amendment rights, as I do everyone’s,” Jacobs began in his social media post. “What I cannot sit back and watch are the unjust and hostile verbal, mental and physical attacks on the innocent people I work with at Marc Jacobs.”
He continued, “It pains me to give into bullies. I had given into bullies much of my young life. Unfortunately, in my current situation with a radical organization (who will remain nameless) claiming to care about the lives of animals while endangering the well-being of innocent individuals and communities leaves me no choice but to give in to a bully.”
Jacobs went on to set the record straight, asserting that his label has not used fur since 2018. “I made a statement to WWD on April 26, 2018 in regards to my position on fur,” he wrote. (He told the outlet at the time, “In the world we live in right now and with experiences I’ve gone through in areas of fashion, I think it’s impossible to not be sensitive to things people take issue with.” The publication also noted that he only showed fake fur during his fall show that year.)
In his Sunday social media statement, Jacobs addressed his decision to use up-cycled fur for a 2022 brand collaboration with Fendi. “Whether that was a mistake or not, is subjective. I have always done my best to listen, then speak my truth and accept responsibility for my actions.”
He continued, “This organization has made it clear that they will not stop their violence toward Marc Jacobs unless they get the statement they want. While I don’t condone the behavior of this organization, I will always do what I can to protect, honor and respect the lives and wellbeing of the people I work with.”
He then explicitly shared his stance, closing with, “Marc Jacobs does not work in, use or sell fur, nor will we in the future.”
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