Designers Say No to Fur at London Fashion Week

According to research conducted by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, 86 percent of designers at this year’s London Fashion Week chose to keep fur off the runway. Shrimps’ Hannah Weiland, a participating designer, recently told Vice that she has never worn fur and never plans to use it in her designs, stating, “I decided to work with faux fur for a number of reasons: my personal taste and views, price, colour, and creative flexibility.” Despite a pre-show statement by industry executive Mark Oaten stating, “I’ll be disappointed if we don’t see fur on at least 80 percent of the catwalks,” designers—including Stella McCartney—chose to work with cruelty-free materials. The fashion industry is changing, and according to Weiland, “given how incredible modern technology is, you can now essentially produce faux fur with the same level of softness, quality, and warmth—which makes the argument for real fur much harder.” London Fashion Week—which has held from February 18 to February 23—is amongst the four most prominent events of its kind in the world.