LETTUCE DRESS

Fashion week has just come to a close in Paris, and before focusing on the horti-cultural aspects of this industry, it is interesting to take a look at the agricultural industry, as it is represented in this image, from Bombay:

This leafy lettuce evening gown was created on the spot to publicize PETA’s encouragement of veganism (not eating, wearing or otherwise consuming anything that comes from animals). Much more positively pro-animal than spray-painting fur coats, this performance uses both plants and fashion in humorous, positive ways that get people to think twice about eating meat. You may have read Jonathan Safran Foer’s excellent book Eating Animals, in which the talented young novelist presents extremely convincing research and arguments against eating meat (you can check it out in the short video here) but there is nothing like a frock to get people’s attention (though I must say PETA’s scantily clad Lettuce Ladies and Broccoli Boys are definitely designed to convince.)

A more formal version of the vegan evening gown is worn by veteran actress Cloris Leachman in the official PETA advertisement: