REAL fur or FAUX fur ?

Companies that have been anti-fur for a long time include Selfridges, Stella McCartney, Armani and Ralph Lauren to name a few. Having an opinion on fur can be very controversial so many brands and influentials either don’t mention it or they campaign against it. The faux fur industry did not start due to compassion for animals but because it was quicker and easier for fabric manufactures. Fake fur was mentioned in fashion magazines during the 1800’s but both Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue disregarded the use of imitation fur.

PETA was formed in 1980 and one of their main goals is to campaign for the abolishment of using real fur to create garments and accessories. They started a new campaign a few years ago called ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’. This gained a lot of popularity as they used many celebrities to endorse the campaign.

Gucci announced that they will be going fur free from Summer 2018. This created quite a buzz and caused a huge reaction from not only people from the fashion world but the majority of the public. CEO Marco Bizarri said that he had been talking to some of the younger people who work at Gucci and they all agreed that it was time to remove the use of fur in future collections. I found this quite interesting as it is the younger generation who want to make a stand, and its amazing that the bigger brands like Gucci are listening.

So, whats my opinion on real fur? Well, I think it is such a luxury item and to own something made from real fur can really show your lifestyle and it is a goal of some peoples to own real fur. However, whats the point when advances in technology mean you can recreate the texture of real fur for a cheaper price and without harming any animals? Maybe I too am stuck in my ways of thinking ‘REAL IS BETTER’ when in reality, its not…

What are your thoughts?

Hollie Rose x