The confluence of fashion and animal rights discourses in the wool industry

This chapter examines how animal welfare campaigns aimed at fashion production achieved dramatically different results through distinct discursive strategies. The study compares two PETA campaigns in Dutch media discourse from 2007–2015: the anti-angora campaign that successfully removed angora from over 300 fashion retailers worldwide, and the less successful anti-mulesing campaign targeting Australian merino wool. Through critical discourse analysis of 291 media texts, supplemented by social media data and public responses, the chapter uncovers how a triggering event – footage of a screaming rabbit being plucked alive – combined with existing stereotypes about Chinese animal welfare practices to form a cohesive discursive framework that depicted angora as morally unacceptable. The research shows how anti-angora discourse achieved coherence through straightforward messaging, consistent framing by activists and media, and alignment with shared values about animal suffering. The merino wool discourse told multiple, conflicting stories – some emphasised cruelty, others stressed medical necessity for mulesing, and wool industry campaigns simultaneously promoted wool&s;s luxury and sustainability. These competing narratives prevented any clear public consensus from forming. The chapter shows that when fashion discourse presents a single, coherent narrative, consumption patterns can shift quickly, but mixed messages tend to preserve the status quo.