Fur in fashion: How fashion houses have responded to the vegan fashion movement by Sarah Silverwood
Aesthetically,
fur will always be in trend - the 2020 fall ready-to-wear runways were littered
with fur pieces from brands such as: Louis Vuitton; Fendi; Celine; and Miu Miu
among others. However, due to the recent shift to more ethical production, some
brands are trying to find alternatives.
The
use of fur in fashion has been a controversial topic throughout the ages with
the animal rights organization, PETA, first campaigning around the usage of it
in 1990. Their ‘I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur’ (1) campaign was founded
after the uncovering of neglect and mistreatment of animals in a Chinese fur
farm. Other notable works from PETA include their gatecrash on the 2002
Victoria’s Secret runway, due to Gisele Bundchen’s deal with Blackglama, as
well as their interruption on Dior’s 2003 ready to wear runway show. The tide
has turned for many of the fashion powerhouses with Gucci, Versace, Chanel and
Prada ditching the use of fur in their products, opting for faux fur. Even John
Galliano – Dior’s creative director at the time of PETA’s gatecrash – has sworn off using fur. Fendi – a company
which has had notable success due to their fur products - have started to use
alternatives yet still offer products containing fur. Speaking to Vogue in a
2019 article, designer Silvia Fendi stated, ‘We don’t use fake fur, but
sometimes we use chiffon, cashmere and wool – all-natural materials – to mimic
fur. I like to give people the freedom of choice.’ (2) It’s not just the
fashion houses which have banned fur: London Fashion Week has banned the use of
fur in 2018 due to an increase in anti-fur protestors. Caroline Rush – British
Fashion Council’s chief executive - expressed that banning fur ‘highlights a
trend we have seen over the past few years, with more and more brands deciding
to use alternative materials to fur.’ (3)
Animal-free
products have been established over recent years. However, this doesn’t mean
that they are strictly sustainable. Typically, faux fur is comprised of
materials such as acrylic or polyester blends – basically plastic – and some
petroleum-based products. These products take a prolonged amount of time to
biodegrade, taking approximately 1000 years to do so. Obviously, plastic poses
a threat towards wildlife - The Ocean Conservancy states that ‘plastic has been
found in more than 60% of all seabirds and in 100% of sea turtles species’ with
the material being often mistaken for food. (4) This further raises ethical
questions – surely using a product that might kill animals in the long term is
just as harmful as killing animals in the short term for their fur?
There
are brands that are aiming to create sustainable faux fur products. House of
Fluff is a New York based brand that aims to show that fur alternatives can be
sustainable as well as ethical. They introduced BIOFUR™ - a textile which
resembles animal fur yet is sourced using plant-based polymer. Furthermore,
their products contain a vegan leather substitute, yet these still contain some
petroleum or polyester fibres. (5) Designer and animal rights activist, Stella
McCartney, has also been praised for her sourcing of bio-based fur. Debuted on
model, Natalia Vodianova, at McCartney’s Summer 2020 show, the designer
alongside ECOPEL and DuPont created a textile that is 37% plant based and
produces 63% less greenhouse gas emissions compared to other faux fur
materials. (6)
‘Reclaimed’
items are ones that have been produced from; waste: cuttings: and old, used
garments. In April 2020, retailer Canada Goose announced that they will stop
buying new coyote fur for their garments. Instead, they will be turning to
‘reclaimed’ fur (for instance, fur from garments that were unsold.) (7) PETA is
strongly against this decision and wishes the company would use faux fur,
arguing that ‘all fur was taken from an animal who deserved to keep their skin
and didn’t want to die.’ PETA wants customers, who have bought fur and decided
it’s unethical to own it, to donate it to a wildlife rehabilitation centre so
it can be repurposed into items for the animals (for instance, bedding.) (8)
Due
to the rapid paced fashion industry, is it asking too much for fashion houses
to promote sustainability and offer alternate textiles to animal derived
products? Only time will tell.
References:
(1) https://www.peta.org/videos/id-rather-go-naked-than-wear-fur/
(2) https://www.vogue.com/article/7-designers-future-of-fur-in-fashion
(3) https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/sep/07/london-fashion-week-vows-to-be-fur-free
(4) https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/plastics-in-the-ocean/
(5) https://houseoffluff.com/pages/sustainability
(8) https://www.peta.org/features/what-is-reclaimed-fur/
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