Kit and Ace, the Vancouver-based fashion brand funded by Lululemon founder Chip Wilson, is taking some heat on social media after a National Observer report revealed the company is selling a hat topped with a pom-pom made of canine fur.
The Berkeley Toque, which retails online for $98, is made from 100 per cent cashmere, except for its pom-pom, which the company says is made from Asiatic raccoon. In her report, the Observer’s Elizabeth McSheffrey points out the Asiatic raccoon is the fur industry’s name for a raccoon dog. The raccoon dog, although it does bear a resemblance to the masked mammal, is not a racoon at all but rather a member of the Canidae family that also includes wolves, foxes, coyotes and domestic dogs.
A raccoon dog.
Alfredo Estrella/Getty Images
The raccoon dog is indigenous to east Asia and it’s an important part of China’s flourishing fur industry, according to a 2012 Toronto Star report.
Unlike many other western countries, Canada has no restrictions on the importing of dog or cat fur. We also have no laws against labelling raccoon dog as Asiatic raccoon, a name that has also been approved by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Still the revelation that canine fur is being used in one of their products has alarmed some potential Kit and Ace customers who have blasted the Vancouver company on Facebook and Twitter.
Kit and Ace, which has more than 40 locations around the world including its flagship store in Gastown, has responded to the controversy by launching an ‘investigation.’
“We are aware of the conversations surrounding our Berkeley Toque. We take these accusations very seriously and appropriate departments within our business are conducting a detailed investigation. Upon completion of this investigation, additional information will be available through theservice@kitandace.com,” Kit and Ace spokesperson Sandra Kusba wrote in an email to the Vancouver Sun.
Kusba provided no timeframe for the investigation but promised the high-end retailer would provide details or hold a press conference upon its completion.
Kit and Ace is not the only Canadian retailer selling Raccoon dog fur products. The Bay also sells garments trimmed with “Asiatic raccoon” fur.
J.J. and Shannon Wilson of Kit and Ace. Both wear shirts from their collection. Photograph by: handout
Kit and Ace was founded last year by Chip Wilson’s wife Shannon Wilson and his son J.J. Wilson. The two developed Qemir, a proprietary fabric Shannon Wilson describes as “technical cashmere” that ” works for people living … full contact lifestyles.”
The Berkeley Toque appears to be the company’s only fur product.
Filed under: Now, STAFF Tagged: Asiatic raccoon, Berkeley Toque, Chip Wilson, Elizabeth McSheffrey, Getty Images Inc., J.J. Wilson, Kit and Ace, raccoon dog, Sandra Kusba, Shannon Wilson, U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Vancouver, wildlife
