PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has defended Kylie Jenner's lion-head dress amid backlash from fans who initially slammed it as "wrong."
Over the weekend, a host of celebrities - including the 25-year-old beauty mogul - appeared at Schiaparelli's Haute Couture show in Paris to see what the Italian fashion designer had in store for her upcoming spring collection.
The looks were all inspired by Dante Alighieri's 'Inferno' and let's just that they did not disappoint.
Embodying a "beguiling blend of femininity and masculinity", the likes of Shalom Harlow, Irina Shayk, and Naomi Campbell showed us what the artist had to offer, strutting down the catwalk with animal heads made from foam - yet another bold choice as expected of a designer known for her eccentric fashion choices.
While the show seemed to be a raging success amongst most critics, some fans and self-proclaimed "animal lovers" were left angry after seeing the use of animal heads on the catwalk despite them being made from foam.
Taking to Twitter, World Animal News reposted a video montage curated by Vogue of the Jenner sister alongside a caption slamming her for her dress choice.
"A disturbing video of #KylieJenner wearing a #lion head at the #Schiaparelli’s fashion show. Although they stated it is faux, how could they possibly think this is fashion? This sends the wrong message & fuels not only the exotic fur trade, but #trophyhunting!
And others seemed to be even less forgiving, with some going as far as branding the concept as "awful".
However, in a shocking turn of events, the animal rights charity PETA has spoken out in favor of the dresses, stating that the idea is "fabulously innovative."
Speaking to Page Six Style, the group's president, Ingrid Newkirk said: "Kylie, Naomi and Irina’s looks celebrate the beauty of wild animals and may be a statement against trophy hunting, in which lions and wolves are torn apart to satisfy human egotism."
She continued: "We encourage everyone to stick with 100% cruelty-free designs that showcase human ingenuity and prevent animal suffering," Newkirk concluded, urging Jenner and her fellow stars to "extend this creativity to exclude sheep shorn bloody for wool and silkworms boiled alive in their cocoons."
After the show, the official Instagram account for Schiaparelli took to the platform to re-emphasize that no animals were harmed in the making of her designs.
"Embroidered animals for @schiaparelli’s Inferno Couture. The leopard, the lion, and the she-wolf - representing lust, pride, and avarice in Dante’s iconic allegory - in hand-sculpted foam, resin, wool, and silk faux fur, hand painted to look as life-like as possible.
"NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN MAKING THIS LOOK."
