FASHION
With the question of real versus fake fur in the
news in a major way, Lynn Yaeger checks in with
designers on either side of the debate.
Across the Divide
Some chic women insist that from now on, they will wear only vintage
fur. Others say they won’t go near any fur at all. But still others cling
defiantly to their mink trench, their sable shrug, their fox poncho—
arguing that fur is warm and gorgeous, and among the most sustainable
materials on Earth. The issue appears to have reached a tipping point:
In just the last few years Burberry, Chanel, Gucci, Versace, Balmain,
Maison Margiela, and Giorgio Armani, among other houses, have
stopped using fur.
Donatella Versace expressed her feelings succinctly. “Fur? I am out
of that,” she says. “I don’t want to kill animals to make fashion—it
doesn’t feel right.” But, of course, designers on the other side of the
equation maintain that fur is the epitome of sustainable luxury. As
Silvia Fendi puts it, “Fur is the most natural material that exists—
and these days, everyone is into natural things!” So where does this
leave us as colder weather looms? We’ll let the fashion designers at the
forefront of the discussion speak for themselves.
Silvia Fendi Fendi
“Fur is durable—you don’t even need to wash it—and totally biodegradable.
When you have a fur from your grandmother in the closet, you can
remodel it into a new shape. 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, and I think that this is an important
issue, one to be taken seriously—but where do you stop? Do you stop
using fur but still wear leather and eat meat? It is important to understand
the source—just as you want to see, for example, how
SPLITTING HAIRS
A SEQUIN-LINED
FAUX FUR FROM
VERA WANG (VERA
WANG, BEVERLY
HILLS) MEETS A
BLUE-GREEN MINK
COAT FROM YVES
SALOMON (YVES
SALOMON, NYC).
DETAILS, SEE IN
THIS ISSUE.
FASHION>316
VLIFE
PHOTOGRAPHED BY MATT MARTIN
