Fur in Fashion, Essay Example

It is easy to understand why fur has been used in fashion for, literally, thousands of years.  On one level, and somewhat removed from fashion ambitions, it is warm.  Then, as cultures evolved,  furs translated to statements about wealth and position.  In plain terms, the rich wore fur, as the degree of wealth could be noted by the degree of rarity of the animal skin.  This extensive history, however, is removed from modern life by virtue of today’s awareness. Moreover, that same awareness now dictates a completely altered feeling about fur.  If it was a badge of prestige and social standing in the past, it is today a sign of an unacceptable disregard for life.  We know too much about how animal skins are obtained to pretend this industry is anything but barbaric, and this knowledge is common.

It is all the more disturbing, then, that real furs are still used in high fashion.  The decisions seem almost deliberately antagonistic, and geared to intentionally flout humanism.  This is all the more upsetting because, as public knowledge of the horrors of obtaining fur has grown, so too have processes created remarkably genuine-seeming fake furs.  As a designer, I would have nothing to do with animal fur at all, but not entirely out of ethical reasons.  The greater reality is that there is no need to resort to so savage an industry.  I would certainly want to use fur in some fashions; it is luxurious in a way no fabric can match, it has dimension and a vast array of possibilities, and it can be adapted for both haute couture and “fun” fashion.  The selections of synthetic furs today, however, are so ample that my designs need never be limited in this sphere.  Rich minks and sables manufactured often deceive experts in fashion, manufacture equates to a great deal more affordability and supply, and I have, in fact, opportunities to create with fur beyond any hopes of a designer from the past.  I would qualify this by two points.  The first is that, as a designer, I would be wary of using fur to excess; to maintain the inherent aspect of quality, it should be treated with respect.  Then, I would research to use only those synthetic furs that are created in an environment-friendly way.  Fortunately, as that industry evolves, my choices are more expansive than ever.