Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – With a thick jacket with a faux fur hood, the wonderful rap star Nicki Minaj arrived on Monday night at the “Ed Sullivan Theater” in New York City to film an episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” . She came out a few hours after filming in a longer version of the jacket, but in acid green this time.
These two coats were made from a mixture of synthetic fibers (i.e. modacrylic and polyester), and were designed by French fashion designer Alexandre Vauthier. Hunter Chaser and Kylie Minogue have both worn special versions of this jacket in recent weeks.
Credit: James Devaney/Getty Images
Previously, wearing real animal fur symbolized status and wealth. In 1929, Vogue magazine joked that the fur you wear reveals “the kind of woman you are and the kind of life you lead.”
Almost a century later, this is still true, but not in the way the magazine wanted. Today, choosing real fur would be seen as a reflection of personal principles. PETA’s campaigns have led people to turn away from fur products, and even the luxury group Kering, the parent company of designer brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, and Bottega Veneta, She phased out the fur in 2022.
Although alternatives to fur are desirable, they represent another challenge beyond the progress that has been achieved. Just last week, Cardi B made her runway debut wearing a long, light blue Balenciaga faux fur coat at the brand’s pre-fall fashion show in Los Angeles.
But faux fur has been around in various forms for more than a century, although those who read Vogue in 1929 may not have imagined that it would become a favorite material of the rich and famous. In the early 1900s, pile fabric, made with the knotted weaving technique used to make cord and velvet, was born, and its tufted surface served as a less expensive alternative to animal hides. Some pile factories in the 1900s became so overwhelmed with orders that they had to briefly shut down production.
Credit: James Devaney/Getty Images
In the 1950s, the use of polymers revolutionized the clothing industry, offering a more sophisticated and convincing fabric. Startling and unnatural colors began to creep into the market, with a 1957 catalog showing a woman wearing a “mysterious” light pink jacket. Fake fur became less associated with animals and more associated with artistic abstraction.
In the same context, Karl Lagerfeld’s fall and winter 1994 collection helped make artificial fur one of the latest fashion trends. On the runway, ski pants were teamed with long fur shipboy hats, and cropped jackets in pink, yellow and green stood out.
Credit: Gerard Julien and Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images
By 2015, fashion shows were coming to life with faux fur. Both Dries Van Noten and Stella McCartney released rich silk and modacrylic collections that year. French designer Julie de Libran told Women’s Wear Daily at the time: “We love the faux fur style because it is fun and playful. It provides amazing colors and sizes, which is not possible with real fur.”
Debate rages about the environmental impact of faux fur, which is undoubtedly better for animals, but what about the planet? According to a report released by the Humane Society International earlier this year, a bobble hat containing a ball of raccoon dog fur has a carbon footprint about 20 times higher than its acrylic faux fur counterpart. However, fur alternatives are typically made of plastic, which means they can take centuries to biodegrade, potentially releasing microplastics into water systems when washed.
That’s not a mystery that seems to worry Minaj, who paired her pink jacket with a pair of very real mink boots. While she may be debuting in her new coat this season, many are hoping she leaves her shoes at the door. As Lagerfeld once said: “You can’t be elegant, but you can be elegant and wear fake fur.”
