Winter always brings about the big questions, to fur or not to fur? Fur was once a high-end status symbol. A mink stole was once a staple in old Hollywood glamour and the top of high fashion. What becomes of something that was once awe-inspiring but is now the cause of controversy? It seems that we spend all summer trying to convince the world that fur for fashion is wrong, but the second the first snowflake falls that all goes out the window and fur goes down the runway.
Despite efforts by activists everywhere, fashion has yet to fully dismiss fur. Even in pieces that could use faux, designers choose to use fox, mink, and even beaver! Yet luckily, some designers are choosing to go faux. The biggest example is Karl Lagerfeld’s choice to do the entire 2010 fall/winter line in faux fur. Lagerfeld has been quoted saying that technology has become so advanced that it is hard to even tell fake fur from real, one of the reasons he finally feels that real fur isn’t the only way to be real high-end fashion.
Besides the Chanel’s big step forward, fashion is still facing problems between the battle of fur and faux. There have been recent altercations in the labeling of fur products. There was an instance at a famous department store where real fur was labeled as faux. This doesn’t sit well at all with animal activists, but also lawmakers are finding this unsettling. Labeling laws are all the rage right now and soon we will no longer see an item, fur or faux, that isn’t accurately labeled.
So will we ever see a day without real fur in fashion? Maybe, but what about leather, silk, and wool? Who is to say what is ethical and what is not? And even if we all were to agree that fur isn’t right, are we all ready and willing to give it up when it comes to high fashion?