The market for fake fur is real. At least this season.
In fact, fake or faux, as fashionistas prefer, has become so fashionable, it’s gone haute. Couturiers at the fashion helm have embraced synthetic skins. In fact, it’s hard to spot a designer who isn’t using a bit of faux in some form or fabric these days. From New York to Orange County, faux fur is becoming the new black.
Designer’s motivation is naturally related to humane issues surrounding fur. The fashion world is experiencing a real renaissance right now. New, edgy and classic design emporiums are going faux for the aesthetic. Fake fur, was always considered cheap, stiff, and had a matted quality, (think about the knotted and rumpled Sesame Street residents, particularly the blue grouch in the garbage can – yes, that matted mess.) But like technology, that is ever evolving, there are newer fabrics that are so advanced that, even very close up, it’s hard to tell if it’s the real deal, or not. The Asian influence and continued improvement in American textile production has always been quite remarkable, particularly with regard to synthetic and acrylic knitted fabrics and sewn skins. How fun to stumble upon a pretty petite car coat, expecting the price tag of a truly large fur, to see that the real deal, is that it is a real steal. Sweet skins now, right?
A fake out fun fur, is just as it sounds, but as long as it is warm, pretty and fashionable, I’m okay with being seen wearing a purposeful designer imposter. (And so are most of the Kate Spade fans that bought out a winner that the brand brought out and sold out. I was in the inner sanctum, the salon, on the right day, it seems (the temps were cooking, so the Saturday shoppers put their baskets back on their bikes for one last summer tour, while I scooped up the one last winter score.) The rest of the Spadesters, got off their roadsters and racked up the rest of the best of this season online.
This Kate Spade High Grade made coat is softness defined. The fibers feel like actual hair, rebounding back to their perfect position after every touch, after every stroke. And the price won’t cause a stroke, because the real fun with a faux fur is that the price is just right. And that stunner of a blouse that was the original cause of the road trip to the Madison Avenue compound became that much more affordable.
Social awareness around avoiding cruelty to animals has made wearing faux all the rage – it is actually going beyond simply mimicking the real deal and emerging as a very desirable fabric source in a new avant-garde category all its own. Now, mink and fox look- a- likes resemble the actual animal skins, but with a classically styled and weaved out of the box textural design. These creations continue to evolve, lest any diehard fashionista’s wardrobe, be none the wiser. Or blonder. The yellow set do need to keep having a reason to have all that ‘dye’ hard fun, just to keep it real. This fake was no mistake!
Photos and styling c/o the “Your Girl Friday” team
