People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have taken aim at trendy shops such as Urban Outfitters with the launch of its satirical store, Urban Outraged, featuring items supposedly crafted from “human parts.”
The shop features a number of clothing and accessories “made of the finest leather — that on second look, reveal human faces on the jackets, human teeth on the shoes, and human blood oozing from the bags,” according to a press release.
The campaign, reminiscent of Buffalo Bill’s human suit from 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs,” was designed to put a spotlight on popular retailers that continue to peddle clothing made of animal leathers and furs.
One of the Urban Outraged taglines describes it as “fashion that dares to ask the question ‘Who are you wearing?’”
“A cow’s skin belongs to her, and she feels fear and pain in a slaughterhouse every bit as much as you or I would,” PETA’s executive vice president, Tracy Reiman, said in an exclusive statement to The Post.
Items sold on Urban Outraged feature the proverbial names of “slaughtered people” whose organs were used to “fabricate” the goods, many of which retain some of their corporeal form, such as a suitcase adorned with human nipples.
“PETA’s Urban Outraged challenges shoppers to see the individual behind every bit of animal skin on store racks and shelves,” Reiman concluded.
Of course, all items being “sold” on Urban Outraged are not actually for sale and are merely digital illustrations of how PETA imagines human leather goods.
Fictional reviews also fill the faux product pages. So goes one: “I’m not really a boot person, but I’m glad Meg was, because these are the best boots I’ve ever worn.”
The grisly site also boasts a fictional “Afterlife Collection,” which purportedly offers a morbid service to have a deceased loved ones skin transformed into various necro-wear.
The animal welfare advocacy group is of course known for its often outlandish — and, at times, offensive — attempts to raise awareness of animal cruelty across industries and promote veganism, including one recent provocative ad designed to titillate viewers through sexualized fruits.
A 35-second clip released in September shows human fingers as they fondle the juicy core of an orange, kiwi, avocado and other plant-based foods, which are said to boost libido and stamina in the bedroom.
But that sex-positive public service announcement was downright genial compared to their previous attack on the fashion industry.
The campaign, “Be a Sweater They Said,” launched with a two-and-a-half-minute video narrated by PETA’s senior vice president Lisa Lange that takes the viewer through purportedly real-life footage of farms and factories across the world, where animals are beaten into submission before being slaughtered for their skin, fur and feathers.