Tommy Hilfiger turns his back on fur on the catwalk

Designer Tommy Hilfiger has joined the likes of Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein by turning his back on animal skins in his collections.

"Tommy Hilfiger's decision to go fur-free ensures that our high ethical standards for production are upheld," said the company's chief executive, Fred Gehring.

In the world of high fashion, fur remains very much in vogue. Christian Dior and Gucci continued to showcase furs at the recent Paris fashion shows for their 2007 autumn/winter collections. British designer Stella McCartney argues that there are alternatives that could be used: "I totally disagree with electrocuted animals on people's backs."

But demand for fur is such that more than 50 million animals will be killed for their fur this year, according to the charity Respect for Animals.Most live in poor conditions on fur farms before slaughter and some are skinned alive.