PETA protests Armani use of rabbit fur

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MILAN, Italy, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Animal rights activists demonstrated at one of Italy's leading fashion houses Tuesday, accusing Giorgio Armani of reneging on a promise to avoid fur.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals displayed posters outside Emporio Armani, the flagship store, that showed the designer as Pinocchio, the puppet whose nose would grow when he told lies, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. They held the demonstration because the fall collection included some items with fur.

The Giorgio Armani Group released a statement saying it never pledged to avoid all fur. It said the one exception it makes is rabbit, since the animals are killed for food, not just for their pelts.

''The use of fur in the house's collection has always been extremely limited, in contrast to what happens at other fashion houses that make fur their core business,'' the statement said.

PETA has also been lobbying movie stars and other celebrities to boycott Armani fashions.