In the earliest days of fashion, when clothing was simply a means of survival, animal fur was the fabric of choice. Originally valued for its accessibility and warmth, over time fur became a status symbol: a broader symbol of wealth, prestige, and style. From ancient Egypt to 16th-century Russia and the early 1900s across Europe and the United States, animal furs, skins, and prints were the definition of chic. However, when anti-fur movements took over the fashion industry in the 1980s, everyone assumed fur would be a mere moment of the past; but against all odds, fur is back and has rebranded itself to secure its place once again.
At the very beginning, animal fur was a convenient byproduct of hunting. At a time when clothing was driven by utility rather than style, the earliest humans appreciated fur as a commodity, specifically for its usefulness in cold climates and the ease with which it could be obtained. With the rise of the Siberian fur trade, fur became the fabric reserved for royalty, nobility, and the wealthiest members of society. Dramatic ermine accents were part of any special regalia, including crowns, capes, and corsets, during the European Renaissance. Mink was a material used by ancient Russian and Scandinavian nobility, and the Sumptuary Laws in Ancient Greece and Rome prohibited non-wealthy elites from wearing fur garments. Although beginning as a functional material, fur slowly became exclusive to certain elite groups.
It wasn’t until the Golden Age of Hollywood that fur became more mainstream, a demonstration of glamour and luxury that many sought to achieve. Hollywood icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor donned mink and fox coats, stoles and wraps, embodying stardom and sophistication on every red carpet. A notable influence on fur fashion was Christian Dior, in his post-war collection “New Look” in 1947, he emphasized femininity and status through fitted-waist bodices, voluminous skirts, soft shoulders, and animal-fur-trimmed collars. This revolutionized the fashion industry, reestablishing decorative dressing and luxurious clothing, all of which had been lost during wartime. From then on, mink coats were the ultimate status symbol; ermine or sable stoles were meant to drape over any evening gown; and a fox trim could elevate an everyday coat. Although fur was all anyone was after, that trajectory took a turn when anti-fur sentiment began to spread in the 1980s.
Despite growing environmental concerns in the 1960s and 70s, the establishment of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in 1980 had the most significant impact on the fur industry. In an effort to emphasize the cruelty of fur farming over the glamour of wearing animal products, PETA interrupted runway shows, staged protests at Vogue’s offices, and infamously launched the “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign, which has featured celebrities such as The Go-Gos, Pamela Anderson, and Naomi Campbell over the years. Supermodel Cindy Crawford famously posed in faux fur in her campaign with PETA, helping animal rights become the number one “hip cause” on the planet in the 1990s. Influencing designers such as Calvin Klein and Donna Karan to ditch fur in their designs, PETA successfully disrupted the fashion industry, sparking the demise of fur products and casting fur supporters in a negative light. The creative campaigns and support from a wide variety of celebrities made the anti-fur movement stand out from other politically motivated trends. PETA eventually even got the outright fur connoisseur and fashion industry icon Karl Lagerfeld to stop producing animal-fur garments. This marked a turning point in the fashion industry, where ethics began to rival aesthetics in determining what is fashionable.
Although the fashion industry was devoid of animal fur products, many people still yearned for the look of fur. Enter the creation of faux fur. The synthetic, cruelty-free fabric was designed to have the same look and feel as real fur, but without the ethical cost. Faux, “vegan” furs are widely worn today. While there are some questions about the sustainability of faux fur, as it is often made of environmentally harmful polyester or acrylic fabrics, it has become the ethically preferred garment. Hailey Bieber is constantly celebrated for advocating for vegan fur products over unethical animal skins. Kim Kardashian claims she will never again purchase newly made fur products, opting instead for vegan or vintage clothing. Angelina Jolie achieves the same Marilyn Monroe-esque red-carpet look, but instead of an ermine fur stole draped over an evening gown, a faux-fur one is in its place. As of 2025, the global faux fur market was valued at $1.5 billion and is projected to grow to $2.8 billion by 2034. Unlike other imitation luxury goods, fuax fur is not as stigmatized, and in fact, celebrated for being fabricated and imitative, a real alternative to unethical fur farming and fashion.
As in the Golden Age of Hollywood, people across all price points want to wear fur, but this time, they can. The mass production of faux fur products has made it more accessible, a luxury afforded to a wide variety of consumers. Lower-end brands such as H&M and Zara have put their own spins on faux furs, making coats and jackets in a variety of lengths, cuts, and prints. Brands like The Frankie Shop and Apparis have dedicated lines for faux-fur fabric, creating on-trend pieces without the ethical costs. At the other end of the spectrum, major designer fashion houses such as Chloé, Stella McCartney, Gucci, and Prada have adopted faux-fur styles, reminding consumers that ethical production does not come at the cost of luxury. Isabel Marant, known for the Parisian and effortless, “cool girl” aesthetic, has a multitude of faux-fur options in its recent fashion lines, signifying this shift towards ethicality. The use of faux fur in garments such as coats, jackets, boots, and bags has allowed the classic, ever-appreciated fur look to endure once again.
Animal fur has had a firm place in fashion since the beginning of clothing itself. Despite changing from an accessible fabric to a luxury good and taking on many forms, animal fur has withstood the test of time, embodying fashion’s cyclical nature. Even when people turned on fur, its most recent rebrand, the switch from unethical fur production to accessible faux alternatives, has demonstrated the quintessential, inescapable, timeless aspect of something much more than a fabric alone. This fresh start is only the most recent chapter in the long history of fur, allowing its legacy to carry forward.
“ Even when people turned on fur, its most recent rebrand, the switch from unethical fur production to accessible faux alternatives, has demonstrated the quintessential, inescapable, timeless aspect of something much more than a fabric alone.”
