"This article is not for you if you are feeling economical or momentarily poor."
So reads the first line of a Vogue feature, boldly titled "The Fur Story of ." Go without jewels, pocket money, or every-day clothes, Vogue advises, but never try to scrimp on fur. For the fur you wear will reveal to everyone "the kind of woman you are and the kind of life you lead."
It's enough to make you sweat in your scrappy Uniqlo hoodie 86 years in the future. Today's fashion marketers are less candid, but their strategy for marketing luxury goods is the same. Rare materials, the argument goes, elevate your self-worth, and investing in them fuels personal and even spiritual development.
Fur is no longer the status symbol it used to be, and while some credit can be given to public awareness campaigns orchestrated by animal rights groups, it's largely thanks to the proliferation of fake furs that began to hit the market more than a century ago. In the s, reports of imitation Astrakhan'a velvety, short-haired pelt made of a newborn or unborn lamb'began popping up in American newspapers. The "high prices for real furs and the excellence of textile furs contribute to make the large manufacturers of women's garments' more active than before," remarked one designer who went on to create many of the plush faux leopards of the s.
Early on, fake fur was made out of pile fabric, a technique of looping yarn that designers used to make textiles including corduroy and velvet. From to , the United States government imposed a 10 percent tax on real fur as part of wartime measures, leading to a boon for pile manufacturers. Some had so many orders they shut down temporarily. That year, the New York Times ran a humor article titled "Man Invents Quadruped Not At All Like The Real One." It detailed the story of a fake fur manufacturer who, having accidentally created a coat based on an imaginary animal, the "Wumpus," launched a national advertising campaign to teach the public about the "origins" of the creature.
'Whenever a fur becomes fashionable," one expert told the Times in , "the trade hunts for a substitute, because the girl in Sixth Avenue wants to look like the fashionable woman on Fifth, and we must help her find her way." As technology improved, manufacturers were able to create fur effects in silk'resembling leopard, gazelle, and mole'and eventually, synthetic pile fabrics like Orlon and Dynel, created in and , respectively. By , fake furriers were trying their hands at replicating mink, beaver, chinchilla, seal, raccoon, ermine, pony, and giraffe, some with more success than others. At best, one could hope to convince the eye, if not the touch.
By then, fake fur was more than just a cheap alternative. "'Frankly fake' furs not only imitate the animal kingdom but poke fun at it," one fashion writer observed. Magazines featured spreads with bright, plush fabrics, no longer resembling real animals. Still, when it came to luxury, genuine fur'puffy fox stoles, floor-length minks'reigned, in Hollywood and thus everywhere else. Like jewelry, women rarely bought their own furs, adding to the material's role as a marker of status.
Conservationists began to speak out against the use of certain real animals for fur'particularly, big cats 'in the mid-'60s. In , members of the Audubon Society picketed in front of luxury fashion store Saks Fifth Avenue. At the time, they claimed not to take issue with the fur industry as a whole, simply the use of endangered animals. But the attacks mounted over the next few years as activists broadened their missions to include the overall well-being of animals and not simply their conservation in the wild.
The faux-fur industry saw an opportunity. In the early '70s, E.F. Timme & Son, the NY-based manufacturer of "Timme-Tation" fake furs, launched an ad campaign attacking the fur industry. Doris Day, Mary Tyler Moore, Angie Dickenson, Jayne Meadows, and Amanda Blake gave quotes for one ad in New York magazine. "Killing an animal to make a coat is a sin," Day said. "A woman gains status when she refuses to see anything killed to be put on her back. Then she's truly beautiful'"
It was the first strike of a long war between animal-rights activists and furriers that used celebrities as ammunition. In an iconic campaign, PETA featured models Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford posing nude, promoting the slogan "I'd rather be naked than wear fur." Brands like Calvin Klein declared they would no longer use the fabric. "Is there a future for fur?" Suzy Menkes asked that year in Vogue. "Young girls don't dream of a fur coat as an image of luxury," said German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. "That kind of glamour-girl dream relates to their mothers and aunts."
Fake fur brands continued to capitalize on the zeitgeist. Coats were sold pinned with political badges, and garments were donated to fashion shows sponsored on by animal rights organizations. If fur was historically fashion's loudest signifier of identity and status, fake fur began to rival it, communicating its wearer's progressive political beliefs. While today some vegans oppose fur of any kind, on the grounds that even fakes popularize the aesthetic, animal rights groups generally back fakes.
Why fur is so socially charged? It's loud and easy to spot, for one. These days, though, the messages once communicated by fake or realness have been diluted by the fact that it's so difficult to tell the difference. Global sales of real fur are on the rise, but fakes are trending, too: Look at runways and you'll see lots of Teddy-bear-esque styles, at department-store brands like Coach as well as up-and-coming labels like Shrimps. (Last year, Isa Arfen actually made a sky-blue coat from the fabric used in Steiff teddy bears.) When everything looks like it could be on the set of Sesame Street, it's difficult to tell what's made of what, and no one seems to be very worried.
Fur has always been a tactile fabric. The fact that most of what we see of fashion is now communicated by image rather than touch'on blogs as well as social media channels'likely plays a role in the look of new furs, real and fake. If few except those who buy them touch them, there's less of a point in obsessing over the direction of the follicle up-close. Does your fur still reveal "the kind of woman you are"? Only on Instagram. The "Wumpus" coat would have a better chance if it were around today.
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Faux fur, also known as fake fur or synthetic fur, is a material that is designed to resemble animal fur, but is actually made from synthetic materials such as polyester, acrylic, or modacrylic fibers. It has been used for centuries as a cheaper and more ethical alternative to real animal fur, and has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the growing awareness of animal cruelty in the fashion industry. Compared to our other topics the history of faux fur is fairly limited to modern times, and likewise, it has a more innovative future than most other textiles.
The origins of faux fur can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where people used plant fibers and animal hides to create warm clothing and blankets. Back then, the use of fake fur in fashion was not as prevalent as it is today. However, there are some historical examples of the use of imitation fur in clothing. One example is the Roman Empire, where clothing made from animal fur was a symbol of wealth and status. As a result, some people used fake fur to imitate the look of more expensive garments. The Roman author and philosopher Pliny the Elder wrote in his Natural History that people would use animal hair that had been dyed to create the appearance of exotic furs, such as those from panthers and lions.
Another example of the use of fake fur in pre-modern times can be found in traditional Chinese clothing. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, wealthy Chinese individuals would often wear clothing made from silk and other luxury fabrics, and sometimes these fabrics were adorned with fake fur trimmings. The fake fur was made from materials like silk floss, which was shaved and then formed into tufts to resemble the fur of animals like foxes and mink. These imitation furs were used to decorate the collars, cuffs, and hems of clothing, and were intended to serve as a symbol of the wearer's wealth and status.
One of the first synthetic fur materials was called 'astrakhan,' which was created by a French chemist in the early s. It was made from a mixture of wool and silk, and was used to make garments that resembled the fur of the Astrakhan lamb, a type of sheep native to the Caspian Sea region. In the late s, the French company Revillon Frères began producing synthetic furs made from wool and silk, and by the turn of the century, they were producing a wide range of synthetic fur garments and accessories.
Another example during this time period would be the first synthetic fake furs produced by a French chemist named Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès in the late 19th century. In , he created a substance known as 'oublie,' which was made from a mixture of fats and oils and had a fibrous texture similar to animal fur. Mège-Mouriès used oublie to create fake fur that was very similar in appearance to real fur, and it was used in clothing and decorative items like rugs and cushions.
Mège-Mouriès' oublie was a significant development in the field of synthetic textiles, as it was one of the first successful attempts to create a synthetic material that could mimic the look and feel of animal fur. His invention was patented, but it wasn't widely adopted by the fashion industry at the time. Instead, it was used mostly for industrial purposes, such as insulating electrical wires. However, this is one of the key examples of early synthetic fake furs, and the success of oublie, would lead to further attempts by other scientists to create synthetic furs with better quality and characteristics.
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As synthetic materials continued to evolve, so did the production of faux fur. In the s, a new synthetic fiber called 'olefin' was developed, which was lighter, softer, and more durable than previous materials. This led to the creation of new types of synthetic fur, such as 'olefin fur,' which was used to make garments and accessories that were more affordable and easier to care for than real fur.
At the time, Olefin was not widely adopted by the fashion industry, as it was still considered a new and somewhat unfamiliar material. Additionally, the synthetic fibers were not very soft and had a shiny appearance, which was not desirable for fur-like fabrics. However, over time, the technology improved and it became possible to produce olefin fur with a more natural look and feel.
By the s and s, olefin fur began to be used more widely in clothing and home furnishings. The development of new production techniques such as air-jet texturing, made it possible to produce olefin fibers with a softer hand, similar to real animal fur. This along with its durability and resistance to moisture made it an ideal choice for a wide range of products. Its popularity as an alternative to real fur increased in the 21st century, as more and more consumers sought animal-friendly and eco-friendly options in the fashion industry.
In the s, the fashion industry saw a resurgence of real fur, with designers such as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren using it in their collections. This led to a backlash from animal rights groups and environmentalists, who argued that the fur industry was cruel and environmentally damaging. As a result, many fashion brands began to adopt more sustainable and ethical practices, and the use of synthetic fur became more widespread.
Today, faux fur is widely used in the fashion industry and is a popular choice for those looking for a more ethical and sustainable alternative to real fur. It is also used in a variety of other applications, such as in the film and theater industry, where it is used to create realistic animal costumes, and in the home furnishings industry, where it is used to make cushions, throws, and other decorative items.
In recent years, the production of faux fur has come under scrutiny due to concerns about the environmental impact of synthetic materials. However, advances in technology and the use of recycled materials have helped to make the production of faux fur more sustainable. Many fashion brands and retailers now offer a range of eco-friendly faux fur options, and consumers can also choose to purchase vintage or second-hand faux fur items as a way of reducing their environmental impact.
The future of synthetic fur looks promising as it is continuously improving in terms of quality, durability, and mimicry of real fur. With the increasing demand for animal-friendly and eco-friendly products, synthetic fur is becoming more and more popular among consumers and designers. This, in turn, is driving innovation in the field of synthetic fibers, leading to the development of new materials and production methods that make synthetic fur even more realistic and versatile.
In addition, the future of synthetic fur is also likely to be shaped by advances in technology. As new technologies such as 3D printing and machine learning are developed, it will become possible to create even more realistic synthetic fur, as well as customize it to a greater degree. Another big innovation would be the common use of biodegradable materials, as that would remove one of faux fur's greatest downsides.
As we have seen, synthetic fur has come a long way in the last century, from being considered an industrial material to a common choice for clothing, home furnishings, and other items. Today, synthetic fur is not only an affordable and animal-friendly option, but it has also improved so much that it is almost indistinguishable from real fur.
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