Turning heads and opinions, fur fashion is gaining a positive following in Britain’s national media with two of the UK’s top newspapers running positive pieces on recent runway success.


As fur took the Autumn/Winter collections for 2010/2011 by storm and is continuing its growing trend well into Spring/Summer 2011, the Telegraph asked “has the last taboo in fashion lost the power to shock?” In the article printed on 2nd March 2011, called “Ready for a touch of the exotic with fur and python?” written by Lucie Green; the level of support displayed by over 400 designers at the Milan, New York and London catwalks was acknowledged and their fresh and creative pieces applauded as it was noted that the collections were “packed with pythons, furs, minks and foxes, used in ever more inventive ways”.


Picking up on Fur fashion increasing attraction to a much younger demographic, it was highlighted that the Industry had been working hard, not only to promote its Origin Assured labelling initiative but to also involve and educate young designers. The initiative was launched in 2007 to monitor sustainable fur farming and its responsible trade and has helped to quell the unbalanced arguments on cruelty. While Industry bodies like Saga Furs, who represent Nordic breeders, have worked alongside cutting edge favourites such as Alexander Wang, Zac Posen and Haider Ackermann who in turn are promoting fur as a viable, chic and desirable material through their adventurous and modern designs. These efforts were also acknowledged through a pertinent comment captured by the Managing Director of Yves Salomon, Thomas Salomon, who stated, “Before, it was only for the elite. Now everyone wants to wear and use fur.”


The article also echoed the statements made by many designers at the famous Fashion Weeks, including Miuccia Prada, who said “I have this obsession with materials like sequins, fur and python, and how women feel about the materials clothes are made from”. Prada wowed audiences with its demure Autumn/Winter offerings and stunned with a kaleidoscope of Spring/Summer 2011 collections that has provided one of the coming season’s key accessories in its multi-coloured stole.

The piece went on to discuss the other exotic additions of crocodile, lizard and snakeskin that are adorning the collections of Jimmy Choo, Victoria Beckham and Mulberry, to name but a few. Pointing out the investment and longevity of exotic garments in terms of both quality and unyielding fashion, the article quoted Erin Mullaney, a Consultant and former Buying Director of Browns, saying “you'll have pieces for 20 years and hand them down, so it's not seen as fast fashion.”

In the article “Fantastic Mrs Fox” in the Financial Times, its author Vanessa Friedman remarked on the abundance of faux and real fur that lined the catwalk in Milan, stating that it was “impossible to remember a season that involved so much animal attraction”. The piece enthused at the use of colours and innovative designs in clothing and accessories in the furs of fox, raccoon, mink, sable and chinchilla and joked “A girl could be forgiven for thinking she had taken a wrong turn at the catwalks and wandered on to the set of Wild Kingdom”.

This particular piece questioned and answered a universal “No” as to whether designers were worried about adverse media or campaign group attention as it was felt that they had clearly weighed up the pros and cons and had put their faith in the heavily regulated Fur Trade Industry’s assurance schemes. It also asked the question of why fur was enjoying such a widespread and renewed popularity, which was in part, answered by the Chief Executive of Furla, Tommaso Bruso, who was quoted as saying that it was all about a perception of its value, “Brands need to show consumers what they are paying for, and this is one way to do it: by investing heavily in materials.”


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