Fur Faux Pas
01-09-2010
Fur was present in many runway shows for this upcoming season, proving to critics that it never goes out of style.
Israeli born designer Alber Elbaz, for example, opened the Lanvin show with an elegant camel (this seasons essential colour) fur bolero. His collection included plenty more fur pieces including a yeti style long sleeved dress and grand jackets in deep purples and blacks, with feather collars.
Fendi also opened their show with fur, using the material in a slightly more creative way. Grey fur thickly lined the front of the charming pale blue coat with black fur along the collar as well as panelling either side of the front, making for an attractive and very contemporary looking piece.
Not to be overlooked is Burberry Prorsum’s collection by British designer Christopher Bailey, which featured plenty of shearling in both jackets and buckled boots showing leather and sheepskin to be a grand match. Coats were either in total mink, or more understated like jackets in softer colours with fur lapels.But is wearing fur a faux pas? To some, yes. An alternative to real fur was found this season in one of fashions biggest names. Carl Lagerfeld for Chanel designed all of his pieces in faux, claiming that you can hardly tell the difference these days thanks to ‘perfect technical advances’. His runway show was spectacular with icebergs imported from Sweden placed around the stage leaving a shallow pool of water across the runway floor which was sure make for some nervous models backstage!
There was of course the classic tweed designs, tailoring, buttons and metal chained handbags present that are unmistakably Chanel, but these were all updated with a faux fur twist. Yeti style jackets and boots, trim fur trousers, leather jackets with fur linings and faux fox fur adorned the runway, keeping the models toasty as they traipsed past the melting icebergs.Although these pieces are undeniably of the highest quality and stunning design, they certainly carry a lavish price tag.to boot. Luckily, for those of us who aren’t so willing or indeed able to break the bank, the High Street has produced much more affordable, yet equally as on trend alternatives. As always, it’s Topshop that appears to be pioneering this, as seen in some of their collections including The Outsiders, with River Island hot on their heels, producing thick faux fur jackets from around £70.00 that are certainly chic but do not stretch the purse strings.
Topshop’s unique collection, renowned for it’s daring originality and creativity, took the fur trend one step further and was one of my personal runway highlights. The catwalk was transformed into a woodland scene with autumnal leaves scattered along the runway and an archway made from twigs from where the models emerged. 
The models were also in keeping with this enchanting theme, with thick hair, bushy eyebrows and faux animal headpieces including fox and badger heads and antlers. Amongst plenty of faux fur were sheepskin anoraks, shearling jackets and yeti boots teamed with long woolly socks and chunky knits, definitely something to invest in to keep us warm this winter!
Be it sheepskin lined boots on a crisp London morning, or a leopard print faux fur coat on a night out, this ultra chic trend certainly adds instant glamour and style to any outfit and is definitely the one to be seen in this season.
Be it sheepskin lined boots on a crisp London morning, or a leopard print faux fur coat on a night out, this ultra chic trend certainly adds instant glamour and style to any outfit and is definitely the one to be seen in this season.
Emma Warner
