Faking it in faux fur

It’s nearly two decades since a crop of supermodels including Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford posed naked in the iconic PETA anti-fur adverts under the slogan “we’d rather go naked than wear fur”. Nowadays thanks to a raft of faux alternatives, there’s no need to go to such chilly extremes.
On the catwalk, designers are increasingly opting to stick with synthetic fur – Stella McCartney, Christopher Raeburn, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger have all incorporated the material into their winter collections.
The trend has even led to a set of emerging labels which specialise in faking it. Shrimps is the idea of London-based designer Hannah Weiland, who has made a name for herself with her signature witty designs; her playful, fuzzy fur take on classics includes the addition of Breton stripes and unusual colour combinations.
Unreal Fur is an Australian label; its approach is to create faux fur styles with a luxurious finish that can emulate the look and feel of fur but without any of the ethical issues. Similarly positioned, London-based Faux England has quality materials and craftsmanship at its centre.
Faux fur doesn’t need to be confined to outerwear; all manner of accessories are also now available with synthetic fibres. Traditionalists can’t go wrong with a stole or a hat. For a different take on the trend try a bag; clutches and shoulder bags work particularly well adding extra texture to an eveningwear look, but unless the abominable snowman is your outfit inspiration, just don’t wear them all at once.