Fur wars
Fall/winter collections go faux.
Fall/winter collections go faux.
It seems that this year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) should change its famous slogan "We'd rather go naked than wear fur" into "We'd rather wear faux fur than fur" to keep up with the fashion world this winter. Really.
The battle between animal rights groups and fur lovers has been raging for years. In 1994, the most popular supermodels of that time, including Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, took part in a series of successful advertisements for PETA, introducing their provocative slogan "We'd rather go naked than wear fur." The campaign worked, and wearing fur became a faux pas from haute couture to mainstream shoppers. When fur sales dropped sharply, many big fur dealers went bankrupt as department stores hurried to remove fur products from their racks.
However, in 2009 Donna Karan (founder of DKNY) broke her pledge against fur by sending her models down the runway of the New York Autumn and Winter Fashion Week wearing fur over-sleeves. Other big brands like Fendi, Givenchy, Lavin, D&G and Roberto Cavalli followed suit, creating a fur renaissance. PETA fought back, publishing pictures of animals whose skins had been peeled off, demonstrating in the nude, throwing a dead raccoon at Anna Wintour, the chief editor of Vogue, who is fond of wearing fur coats, and attacking fur lover Paris Hilton with flour in public.
Finally, a new fashion trend this season may result in an armistice. Artificial fur was a central element in Chanel's 2010-2011 line. Fashion tycoon Karl Lagerfeld dressed his models with well-made, chic clothing made of artificial fur, which he prefers to call "fantasy fur." On the runway, the models passed through a "melting iceberg," to promote awareness of ecological balance and to encourage people to buy artificial fur.
According to Lagerfeld, Chanel adopted the aesthetic of haute couture for this season's fur clothes, using new materials that mimic animal fur in color, luster, texture, thermal ability and waterproof effect, without animal cruelty. "It's harder and harder for people to distinguish real and artificial fur," said senior vice president of PETA, Dan Mathews.
Fantasy fur even has advantages over real fur. For example, real fur can be difficult and expensive to care for properly, requiring controlled temperature and humidity.
Also, fantasy fur allows for more freedom in design. Prada recently revealed a jacket with artificial fur in its 2011 Autumn and Winter series, boldly using some bright colors like yellow, turquoise and purple. According to designer Dennis Basso, head of Dennis by Dennis Basso Collection, certain kinds of fur that cannot be made into clothes can be replicated using artificial fur. "For instance, you would never make clothing out of the skin of a snow leopard or a cheetah," he said.
"Artificial fur feels just like real fur. Furthermore, it allows fashion designers to use their imaginations more in the design process, resulting in that luxurious look that exclusively belongs to autumn and winter," said Ji Liang, fashion commentator and creative director of the fashion website Onlylady.
Customers are becoming more attracted to artificial fur products because of the better designs. "Before, artificial fur was made to imitate real fur, but now artificial fur itself has its own role," Basso remarked.
The use of artificial fur has strong support from animal rights groups. "Artificial fur can decrease demand for fur, effectively reducing the killing of animals, and solving the conflicts between animal protectors and the fashion world. I myself am in favor of not using animal fur to make clothes," Ji told Global Times.
Another benefit to consumers is cost. Naeem Khan used artificial marten in coats for his HSN series, priced at $900, while a real marten coat can be as much as $10,000. In China, you can buy a great faux fur coat for under $50. No wonder you see so many people wearing clothes, shoes, gloves and hats festooned with this new artificial fur this winter. It's a long-awaited opportunity for common people to own some luxurious winter clothes.
For others, lower prices are not so attractive. "Many people see that artificial fur is not that valuable. For the time being, this trend may not shake the position of real fur in those luxury lovers' hearts," said Ji.
However, animal lovers need not worry about this big-spending crowd. The artificial fur used in those extremely luxurious brands is definitely not cheap. The production costs of artificial fur are comparable to those of real fur, as its standards of workmanship and raw materials is even stricter.
Some people describe the new artificial fur as a "democratic material," as it provides choices for all kinds of customers: those who want luxury can choose the expensive brands, while people who love beauty at the right price can also join the "fur" party.
It is easy to see the wisdom in what designer Cheng Hao told the Global Times, "[Artificial fur] is gradually taking the place of [real fur]. I hope it can replace [real fur] completely."