Well folks, Kim Kardashian may not have to face animal protesters anymore. With recent changes in the fashion industry, designers are now accepting the use of faux fur in their collections. In an effort to find common ground for both designers and animal lovers, fashion brands including Stella McCartney, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, and Kate Spade are now incorporating faux fur in their clothing lines. During Stella McCartney's pre-fall runway show, the brand ensured that their designs were fur-free by patching "Fur Free Fur" labels on their clothing. And while it may seem like using faux fur could be a risky representation of the fashion brand, McCartney fully explains that this is simply not the case.
She explains to WWD:
"We have been looking at fake furs for years but never felt it was the right message for us to promote the look of fur. But, moreover, the material and fabrics that we kept seeing as a substitute were just not great nor inspiring enough to really be able to make a statement about it. Then after seeing probably over 200 hundred different kinds of fake fur, we finally saw the right ones we wanted to work with. We found something that looks great and is consistent with our philosophy on luxury and cruelty-free fashion, so it felt like the right time."
Turns out McCartney's designs were "100 percent modacrylic." And sure enough, other designers feel the same way. Incorporating faux fur isn't to support the use of real fur, it's rather more of an aesthetic purpose.
Julie de Libran from Sonia by Sonia Rykiel explains, "We like the faux-fur approach because it's playful and fun. It provides incredible colors and volumes, which are not possible with real fur."
All in all, designers seem to be making a happy compromise by using faux fur for their collections, and if consumers are happy with buying faux fur instead of real fur for their wardrobe needs, I'm all for it.
McCartney also tells WWD, "We had a really positive reaction for the Fur Free Fur in general and it has been very encouraging and supportive, too. And some people don’t care if it’s not the real thing as long as it looks and feels great.”
Image: Getty (1)
