Will New York be the next city to ban fur?

New York City could be about to become the next US metropolis to ban the sale of fur.

The New York City Council has received a proposal to ban the sale of fashion items made with animal fur, The Guardian reports, and the bill has now moved to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing for further consideration.

Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who put forward the bill alongside City Council members, told fashion trade publication WWD: "In a progressive city like ours, we need to take steps to protect animals," adding, "Banning the sale of fur in New York City is long overdue."

The bill -- which proposes slapping anyone caught selling clothing made with newly-sourced fur with an initial $500 fine, rising to $1,500 for any further violations -- would not be the first of its kind in the US. Last September saw the Los Angeles City Council vote unanimously to ban the sale of the material within the city limits, six months after San Francisco passed a similar ban.

Fashion labels have also been abandoning the use of fur in droves recently, with Jean-Paul Gaultier, Coach, Versace, Burberry, John Galliano, DKNY and Donna Karen all announcing plans to drop it from their collections over the course of the past year. Several heavyweight fashion brands have also been fur-free for some time now, including Stella McCartney, Armani and Hugo Boss.