Statement: PETA Mourns the Passing of The North Face Founder and Vegan Fashion Pioneer

For Immediate Release:
December 9, 2015

Contact:
Catie Cryar 202-483-7382

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk released the following statement in response to the passing of The North Face and Esprit founder Douglas Tompkins:

Douglas Tompkins’ companies have been at the forefront of vegan fashion, from Esprit’s ban on cruelly produced angora wool and its line of leather-free, PETA-approved shoes to The North Face’s innovative ThermoBall™ down-free jackets, which won a PETA award last year for saving birds from the pain of having their feathers ripped out. His values and passion for protecting the planet primed his companies to be unconventional leaders in innovation as well as animal and environmental protection.

PETA’s motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear,” and our obituary for Mr. Tompkins is available here.