The fur debate

To wear or not to wear fur? That is one of the most controversial subjects in the world of fashion. The majority of the fashion houses, from Gucci to Louis Vuitton to Ralph Lauren or the furriers from Fendi to J.Mendel, sprinkle their every collection with leather, pony skin, python, crocodile, mongolian wool, astrakhan, mink...

A minority stick to their vegan guns, like Stella McCartney, and create incredibly high tech and interesting alternatives to both fur and leather, like this winter's beautiful coats, leggings and thigh high boots, proving you can obtain the same look as leather and fur without having to directly slaughter a single animal. (see the image above, courtesy of www.style.com)

But what of the way fake fur is produced? After all, most fake fur is made from plastics, and plastics are mostly derived from petrol. The production of plastics is not exactly the most eco-friendly process either. (If you want the details, check out: www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Plastics.htm) 

My tack is that, unless you have qualms about eating meat, then its a bit weird to get all funny about leather or the skin of any other animal you'd be willing to eat (let me clarify that in my case that includes ostrich, horse - after all I was partly raised in Belgium - I haven't tried snake yet but crocodile has a very similar taste to chicken). So its a personal decision. For me the "no go" species is rabbit. It is extremely soft fur but, just like I can't think of eating its meat, I wouldn't be able to wear its fur.

And yet, I wear fur when it gets very cold. My grandmother's jackets and coats mostly. Keepsakes that I cherish, because of who they belonged to, because of how beautifully made they are, and because they are warm, comfortable and elegant. I'd never buy a modern fur. I don't need it. Today there are modern fibers that are just as effective if when it comes to stopping the ice of a winter morning from getting into your bones. 

But I will continue to use those furs from the 1940s, '50s and '60s. I love them, not only because they keep me warm, but because I feel when I wear them that my grandmother is still somehow with me. And, should I have a chance, I will definitely try to modernize a couple.  Ironically, some of the best ideas I have found for how to do that come from the recently launched "Where the Wild Things Are" fake fur collection at Opening Ceremony (www.openingceremony.us). A great childhood flashback of a selection created by movie director Spike Jones who has turned my generation's classic bed time story into a feature film that will be coming out soon (bets are on as to whether it will ever be released in Spain... watch this space!)