To fur or not to fur? 3 fashion writers go head-to-head Menswear

This season, among many other things, the AW25 runways were awash with faux fur. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ ode to instinctual dressing featured multiple imitation animals hides that reflected the show’s themes; Dolce & Gabbana’s paparazzi-fest in Milan was littered with models swaddled in the soft stuff; Colm Dillane at KidSuper and Chitose Abe at Sacai both delivered collections full of it; and even Mr Armani got in on the trend, showing faux-filled collections for both his Giorgio mainline and Emporio diffusion.

While fur, in all its diverse forms, has rapidly increased in popularity over the past 12 months, this season’s menswear shows brought the whole thing to a head again, proving that there’s still fierce debate when it comes to this particular subject. But, unlike other debates, it’s not just for or against, but pro real, pro faux, pro vintage, and firmly against it all. While pro (new) real fur is a minority view – in the UK, 78 per cent of people support a legal ban on the import and sale of fur – the rest are up for grabs. Scroll down for our fashion writer roundtable below.

Nothing looks as sickening as wearing faux fur feels. It can be fluffed, dyed and manipulated any way you like, not to mention it can be worn with the additional smug layer of being an ethical baddie. And you can almost guarantee that there won’t be a herd of ghostly animals haunting and hexing you for years to come. Faux is a no-brainer, and not even those coarse acrylic fibres that get stuck on my lip gloss could change my mind. If I can be chic without torturing animals, I’m always going to make that choice. It’s affordable, has been proven to be less impactful on the planet than real fur, and increasingly innovative. Thanks to inventions like biofur – a fur alternative made from plant-based materials, recycled textiles and other biodegradable matter – there’s a light at the end of the tunnel of this polyester nightmare. So, when it comes to fashion, draping oneself in the remnants of torture is unfathomable when faux fur Galliano boots are right there for the taking.

I’m aware of the prevailing pro-fur argument – that vintage fur is somehow superior – but are we simply ignoring that the same logic can be applied to its faux counterpart? Those opting for dead-carcass chic actively have animals decaying on them, while most don’t even live lives that warrant choosing these pieces for warmth or partake in indigenous practices.

We all must tell ourselves lies to get through the dark, uphill battle that we call life, especially since there’s no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism. There’s also no such thing as ethically sourced fur. Admittedly, I’ve only owned one vintage fur in my life, a thrifted chocolate brown rabbit jacket that literally crumbled into pieces before my eyes. But guess what has lasted? My sturdy faux fur rotation, which is bursting with jackets, shrugs, headbands and boots, all of which have remained in my closet, some for over a decade and counting. (Kish Lal)

For indigenous populations, fur is a way of life. It’s not a luxury or a status symbol, but rather protection against the elements and economic opportunity. But for the fashion industry, it’s a different story. In 2023, global fur exports were a whopping $3.4 billion. While that’s just 0.2 per cent of the apparel industry’s $1.73 trillion revenue, it’s still an enormous figure for a product with such glaring ethical issues.

Now you might argue that the ethical solution is faux fur. In which case, you’d have plenty of big-name brands, from Prada to Chanel, to back you up. But faux fur is most commonly made from synthetic materials such as acrylics or polyester. And I hope by now you don’t need a lecture on why textiles that require fossil fuels for production and centuries to biodegrade are a bad idea. Justifying faux fur consumption only serves to soothe guilty consciences, not the planet.

Then what is the solution? Well, it’s simpler than you think: vintage or second-hand fur. I’m willing to bet there are more than enough existing furs circulating to satisfy everyone’s needs, without ever needing to consider new production. Not only that, but vintage fur is often of higher quality, designed to last far beyond the lifespan of any new or synthetic alternative. So why not take the opportunity to breathe new life into garments which would otherwise be sitting in landfill or the back of a wardrobe, forgotten and gathering dust? (Jodi Bhachu-Smith)

Fur seems like the ultimate timeless fashion staple, surviving the caveman days all the way to Prada menswear AW25. The desire for fur hasn’t changed much, yet it has evolved as our society advanced past the total need for fur thanks to modern insulation technology in fashion. These much needed updates prompted various anti-fur campaigns during the late 00s and early 2010s, notably helmed by PETA. But thanks to the ever so ferocious Mob Wife aesthetic and 90s nostalgia, fur is everywhere. And with that fur comes the thick and hairy argument of humane and environmental ethics. We’ve debated paper versus plastic. Now we’re in the fluff of real versus faux fur.

Is there such a thing as ethical fur? Well, faux fur comes in three forms: synthetic, vegan and animal hair. What’s the difference between fur and animal hair? Fur is typically thicker, and grows to a certain length and could later be sheared for these clothes. Hair grows continuously and longer. So that designer faux fur coat may actually be well-fluffed goat hair. Vegan fur uses plant fibres, transforming hemp, flax and other plants into plush textiles. Though biodegradable, caution comes from potential pesticides and water overuse making it not as green. Synthetic fur is a toxic no-brainer. A synthetic fur coat is a fuzzy forest of microplastics. The real thing is bad enough, but the least you could do is go vintage, despite the overall inhumanity of wearing a skinned animal.

Toting faux fur is essentially virtue signalling on a slightly higher moral ground than wearing real fur. And the real thing is simply appalling after a few extra moments of thought. Why invest in something that inevitably causes more damage to our burning world? (Ken Downs)