Fur fashion and meaning

Model: Katie Neely

I have ambivalent feelings about using real furs in my collection. They are so obviously associated with animal cruelty that part of me always cringes. But another part of me recognizes the environmental wisdom of reuse and sees the innocence of a bygone era. Could I use this piece to spark a larger conversation?

I acquired my furs at the Goodwill bins, which is the last stop before dumping. I don’t think the age of innocence they represent, or the lessons learned since then should be swept under the carpet into a landfill. I intend these pieces to raise a conversation.

For those who care about animal rights, we still have a long way to go as we continue to use leather in our shoes, handbags, jackets, car seats, et al. When we think of animal cruelty, it’s not the end of life that is the cruelest thing. All life must end. It’s the supremely cruel ways “farmed” animals live and die that needs reform. I believe the creatures who’s skin these coats are composed of may have had a decent life as their original cut indicates they were made in the 30s or 40s, an era before agri-biz really took hold.

I see the romance of bygone days in these furs. They remind me of programs like “Game of Thrones” or “Vikings” where fur-clad heroes and villains fill the screen. And while I understand our embarrassment around the fur industry, I don’t see that destroying the pelts of these long-dead animals will change the past, but it can spark a conversation now.

Should I drop these from my collection and not show them anymore? Is it better to reuse and repurpose them? Should I be embarrassed about my attachment to their romance? Is there a strong argument for breading and skinning animals for fur today? Is leather better or worse than fur? Does eating animals justify treating them as things? Should I not be repurposing or reworking leather either? should people justify the use of leather but condemn the use of fur? Do synthetic furs have less environmental impact? Does realistic synthetic fur still send the same message when people see it?