Bowing to pressure from animal rights activists, Inditex, the world’s largest fashion retailer and parent company of Zara and Massimo Dutti, will stop selling clothing made from angora in its more than 6,400 stores around the world. Thousands of fluffy jumpers and angora coats and caps now sitting in its warehouses will be sent to Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The announcement comes after talks with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal (Peta), which had conducted an investigation into the production of the luxury fibre. 

Peta, after visiting angora farms in China, had released graphic footage in 2013 showing fur being ripped out of live rabbits to ensure the angora fibres were as long and thick as possible. The rabbits, whose front and back paws were tied, screamed and writhed in pain as their fur was torn out. Bald and bleeding, the rabbits were pushed back into cramped cages to regrow their fur until it could be plucked again. 

The footage reflected the standard conditions for angora rabbits in China, which today is home to 90 per cent of the angora fur trade, said Peta. The investigation prompted several retailers, including Marks & Spencer, Topshop, Primark and H&M to stop selling garments made from angora. 

Inditex, controlled by founder Amancio Ortega, one of the world’s richest people, initially stayed quiet. Now the company has said it will not be resuming sale of angora. After consultation with animal welfare organisations to explore more sustainable ways to produce angora and help develop better standards within the industry, it has decided to ban angora production. The Inditex statement was welcomed by Peta.