Every January, like clockwork, A-listers descend on Aspen. The looks served on the slopes are besides the point, however. It’s the après-ski outfits that set the mood. And the mood this vacay season is somewhat controversial because the dress code in Colorado – brace yourselves – is fur. Not only faux but also real, with the proviso that most of those pieces are sourced from designer archives (a.k.a. vintage).
Carrie Bradshaw is the original vintage fur coat influencer (although there’s some debate online about whether or not it’s actually faux). In the real world, Kendall Jenner has been wearing little else but furry looks in the mountain resort, with a suitcase that reportedly included a fur-trimmed jacket that paired with a matching pencil skirt (Gucci circa 1996), as well as a coat that has seemingly been identified as fox fur and vintage Balenciaga.
If you’ve been watching from afar, perhaps you’re thinking, don’t most people have a black-and-white policy on real fur? The British Fashion Council has banned the use of both fur and so-called ‘exotic animal skins’ at London Fashion Week, which will come into effect this year, according to The Guardian. (For the undecided but decidedly risk-averse, Samantha Jones’s white fur coat getting splattered with blood red paint by animal-rights protestors shouting, ‘Murder!’, was enough to convince them to steer clear.) The wearing of vintage fur, however, seems to have been creeping into consciousness.
In some cases, it’s mind over matter. ‘I'd never really considered real fur as, among my peers, it's always been something that's taboo,’ says one fashion editor. ‘Then, a couple of years ago, my friend bought me a vintage fur stole that he found in an antique shop. I must confess, the fact that it was vintage made me feel more comfortable about wearing it.’ The counter argument is that surely it’s splitting hairs to suggest that since the animal has already been killed to make a coat for a previous owner, it’s less cruel. And besides from relying on a false sense of distance from the act of cruelty itself, you’re still tacitly showing your support for the fur industry.
Perhaps a more compelling take is to look at the issue through a lens of sustainability. ‘I wouldn't advocate for new fur pieces to be made but, as there are so many already in existence, it does seem like the most sustainable option when we know how toxic faux fur can be for the environment,’ says the same fashion editor. Faux fur is usually made of Polyester, a plastic substance that is virtually indestructible, or might as well be considering how long it takes to break down in landfill. ‘Ultimately, it's a personal choice. I totally understand why some people hate the idea and would never want to wear real fur but lots of us also wear leather and eat meat. I would never want an animal to suffer, especially not in the name of fashion but, if there are countless examples of real fur in the pre-loved market, why shouldn't they be worn, rather than trying to make something new from synthetic fibres which aren't biodegradable?’
Another editor agrees with an important caveat. ‘As with most things, there should be a dialogue: vintage fur should never become a gateway excuse for newly-produced real fur products. The majority of the fashion industry has left that behind and it should remain a thing of the past.’
You could, naturally, avoid fur altogether in future (real or faux). If one is cruel, the other unsustainable, then surely neither are satisfactory. If you do really want to recreate the fur look, though, a more palatable solution may be to look for a coat made of faux fur that isn’t plastic. ECOPEL makes ethical, vegan and sustainable faux fur for brands including Stella McCartney, who collaborated with the manufacturer to make a pioneering material called KOBA®, a faux fur created in 2019 that is now 100% plant-based. In other words, a game-changer. Arnaud Gavard Brunois, ECOPEL’s communication and sustainability manager, explains why fur is problematic, regardless of whether it’s new or old. ‘If fur factory farms still operate today, it means that the fur of animals killed today may be sold as vintage fur in one or two decades. It just becomes a new business opportunity for the industry and, at the end, animals are still being exploited.’
Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane Society International/UK, agrees, adding that although the organisation is focused on stopping demand for the production of new fur, vintage fur is still problematic. 'Second-hand furs are receding into fashion history, and are not a good look against modern innovative materials. We would always advocate for animal-free fashion choices that don’t risk glamourising cruelty.' Ultimately, fur looks best on animals.'
Natalie Hammond is senior fashion news editor at Grazia. She previously worked at The Times - and has written for publications including The Telegraph, The Financial Times and gal-dem. She loves a ludicrously capacious bag (sorry, Tom!) and has never met a pair of clogs she wouldn’t wear. Find her on Instagram.