To celebrate The Humane Society of the United States’ 2nd Annual Cool vs. Cruel Fashion Design Competition for Art Institutes’ students, The Art Institute of Dallas is proud to display some recent fashion submissions from Art Institutes across the country (including two from AID students!). The challenge: to create haute couture evening-wear, outerwear, or suits that include alternatives to fur or exotic skins, using sustainable materials. From October 11-31, the Pegasus Gallery will showcase these cruelty-free designs, before the exhibit continues on its tour of the nation.

Why Fur Free?
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is the nation’s largest animal protection organization. Its mission is to create a humane and sustainable world for all animals, including people, through education, advocacy and the promotion of respect and compassion. Many people are not aware that an estimated 50 million animals are killed each year so their skins can be turned into garments and that countless others are suffering right now on fur factory farms and painful body crushing traps. For several years now we have promoted alternatives to wearing real animal fur and worked to raise awareness in the fashion community through outreach to designers, design schools, retailers and consumers. On behalf of our nearly 10 million members and constituents we are thrilled to celebrate the creativity and talents of new up and coming talents in the world of fashion and look forward to a long partnership of promoting compassionate glamorous alternatives with them.