• About BCR
  • News
  • News @ BCR
  • Rescues
  • Issues
  • Cat Laws
Friday, March 5, 2021
  • Login
  • Register
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
No Result
View All Result
Home News World

She’s got ways to skin a cat

BCR by BCR
September 8, 2013
in News World
0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

You might also like

Cub Petting Shame

Rules

GoFree

She’s PETA’s worst nightmare.

Clair Watson, 56, a blueblood British fashionista, is the city’s Cruella de Vil of couture, the top dealer of garments made from tiger, leopard, ocelot, cheetah and jaguar, state records show.

The array of items she brought to public sale also included a leopard porkpie hat, a whale-skin handbag, a seal coat, ivory bangles and a fur cape made from hides of the threatened Geoffroy’s cat, a species of feline found in South America and about the size of a household tabby.

The pieces were all created decades ago, some for famous fashion houses like Halston and Maximilian, according to records from the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, which monitors the trade.

Patrick McMullan
CRITTERS, BEWARE! Clair Watson is the state’s top dealer in items made from endangered animals’ fur.

The agency allows articles from threatened or extinct species to be bought and sold as long as the animals used to make them were killed prior to the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973.

The DEC lists 15 clothing items with Watson’s name attached — the most of any broker in the state — and each hit the block while Watson worked with the Doyle auction house on the Upper East Side from 2003 to 2007. She continues to consult for Doyle and private collectors.

Prices are not listed in state records, but many of the endangered-animal skins fetched thousands of dollars.

Miami resident Amy Hollub plunked down about $3,000 for a 1950s jaguar coat, hat and belt that Watson auctioned at Doyle’s in 2004.

“A friend of mine and I went — it was my first and last auction,” Hollub said. “It was impulsive.”

A month after Hollub returned home, Doyle’s called to say she had to send the items back, explaining that state law prohibits transporting such garments out of New York. She complied.

Watson’s fur trade appalled People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

“Clair sounds like a sadistic safari guide to people who might have money but are morally bankrupt,” said PETA rep Dan Mathews.

Watson came here from London in the ’90s, when she worked for Benetton. Some credit her with spurring the vintage-clothing craze among socialites.

She grew up amid opulence in Calcutta, India, where her father was an entrepreneur. When he fell ill, the Watsons had to return to England.

“It was the end of privilege,” she said in an interview on her Web site.

But it wasn’t all hardship: Her grandmother took her shopping in Knightsbridge, walking two Dalmatians while sporting a full-length Dalmatian-print coat.

brad.hamilton@nypost.com

bigcatrescue.org


Tags: News World
Previous Post

FL Panther Deaths in 2010 near Record High

Next Post

Killing Endangered Species Will Harm Tourism

BCR

BCR

Big Cat Rescue is Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade

Related Posts

Cub Petting Shame
Cat Laws

Cub Petting Shame

January 17, 2021
1.4k
Be Safe Out There!
How To Start A Sanctuary

Rules

March 31, 2020
112
Big Cat Rescue does bobcat rehab and release of native, Florida bobcats.
Articles by BCR

GoFree

March 29, 2020
436
Nik Tiger being Xrayed
How To Start A Sanctuary

What is a day like at Big Cat Rescue?

June 30, 2020
61
Cougars at Big Cat Rescue
Memorials

Artemis

January 28, 2020
219
Next Post

Killing Endangered Species Will Harm Tourism

Leave a Reply

  • Default Comments (0)
  • Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Help Feed Big Cats

One of the best ways to help is through general donations that can be used however it is most needed at the time.To make a general donation just click the Donate Now button below.  This is the best way to give as it has the lowest credit card processing fees and is immediate help for the cats.

Give to Big Cat Rescue

If you prefer to donate via Pay Pal, please use this link: Pay Pal

Take Action Against Abuse

Shop To Save Big Cats

More From BigCatRescue

  • Big Cat Rescue is Live 24/7 on Webcams
  • Rescue Missions
  • About Big Cat Rescue
  • Big Cat Rescue News
  • Reviews
  • Our Recent Work
  • Sanctuary FAQs
  • Big Cat TV

Sanctuary Cats

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

Big Cat Information

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

Ways to Help

  • Newsletter SignUp
  • Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us
  • View AMP Versioin
No Result
View All Result
  • About BCR
  • News @ BCR
  • Videos
  • Big Cat Facts
  • Cub Facts
  • Sanctuary Cats
  • Shop and Save Cats
  • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Abuse Issues
  • Contact Us

© Copyright 2021 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist