The question of whether or not to sell, buy or even wear real fur is an emotive one.
The owner of a Cotswolds boutique that sold real fur was recently forced to shut down when the abuse she received at the hands of protestors reached boiling point. Real fur is barely anywhere to be seen on the high street these days. Meanwhile, great fashion houses like Gucci and Burberry now avoid it like the plague.
You, too, could skip the aggro and the guilt and head instead to these sites that make a point of selling excellent fake fur.
Stella McCartney
A lifelong vegetarian, Stella McCartney has never used any leather or fur in her designs. Her collections don’t suffer from this rigid policy, though. Season after season, she manages to have fun with fake alternatives. We are saving up hard for the Champaign Jacket. Furry nice it is, too.
Shrimps
Launched in London in 2013, Shrimps began as a small label selling faux fur coats. Today, its founder Hannah Weiland pretty much leads the conversation on cruelty-free fashion. We need one of her super-cool Fergal Sand Jackets. Her collections also include wittily conceived bags and dresses.
Topshop
The high-street giant takes a proudly progressive stance on animal-friendly fashion.
We love the Freddy Square Faux Fur Tote Bag and the Leopard Faux Fur Coat, with its pretty pink collar, is driving the fashion pack wild.
Faux England
All Faux designs are conceived and produced in England, and these guys carefully select their simulated fur fabrics from specialist UK mills. The result is a premium collection of fake fur coats, capes and accessories. The Daliah Chocolate Blend Faux Fur Gilet looks cosy and elegant at once.
House of Fluff at Net a Porter
Based in New York, House of Fluff is a fabulous ethical, faux fur fashion brand, available in the UK at Net a Porter. Style maven Claudia Winkleman has raved about her House of Fluff Yeti Coat in two separate national-newspaper columns. “This House of Fluff (coat),” she declared, “is officially the king of fake furs.” Need we say more?
November 2018