Designers Rebecca Goldsmith and David Klein of Goldsmith & Klein, a luxury retail store in The Avenues District in West Hollywood, have joined forces with the Chamber of Commerce, board members of The Avenues, and The Fur Council of America to assist in overturning Monday’s 3 to 2 vote in favor of banning the sale of fur in West Hollywood.
Klein expressed his opinion why the city should reconsider the ban, “As one of the newer brands in WEHO, our survival depends on giving the customer what she wants. It is how we differentiate ourselves from the larger retail chains and it is our competitive advantage. This ban takes away that advantage, undermines our ability to survive, and paves the road for government to further permeate the operations of the retail environment. Is this how you treat the new business willing to take a risk in West Hollywood?”
Klein continues, “We would not have opened up our store in WEHO had we known that the city council had been considering banning fur. Since council members did not fully notify and involve the businesses of West Hollywood regarding the ban, we see their ‘symbolic gesture’ as a stab in the back.”
Council members John Heilman and Abbe Land expressed concerns during the meeting regarding the clarity of exactly what the ban includes along with a lack of solid economic data and the impact the ban would cause on existing businesses. “We witnessed these two council members voice their concerns at least twice to Mayor John Duran about the lack of information. Common sense would dictate that the vote be tabled until the economic impact is clearly understood. Yet we saw Duran push this bill forward and in the end the council voted 3 in favor, 1 abstained and 1 no,” said Klein, “It is clear that there are members on the council who feel that perhaps this ban isn’t the correct way to go about handling the sale of fur in WEHO.
“Goldsmith and I have invested everything and sacrificed a great deal to create our brand and to open up our atelier in WEHO. It is hard enough to do business given today’s economic conditions … the city has given us one more hurdle to climb over, threatening to destroy what we have worked so hard to create. How can a city that claims to be focused on the freedoms and lifestyle choices of its residents and businesses turn around and be so despotic overnight?”
Goldsmith & Klein, LLC is a high-end luxury fashion house that creates exquisite couture gowns and ready to wear items. First introduced in New York during the 2010 Fall Fashion Week, Goldsmith & Klein quickly garnered the attention of stylists, fashion photographers, fashion magazines and several prominent Hollywood celebrities.
