Just when you think you've seen it all...
The CBC news program "The National" aired a documentary tonight stating that fur prices for Canadian furs are on the rise for the second year in a row. One of the main reasons for this was the fashion industry - in particular European and Canadian designers who have broke with the traditional fur coat styles and appearance by dyeing them bright colours and shearing the fur to give it a more supple look.
According to these designers - one of the initial reasons for the decline of fur products was the failure of designers to adjust and keep pace with fashion trends. Instead the accepted view was that if a coat was to be made of a traditonal material such as fur - than it should look like fur and the cut and style remained more or less unchanged for decades. As a result, fashion conscious consumers gradually "got bored" with them, causing indifference, which allowed animal rights activists to gain momentum and the rest is history.
Some designers however began experimenting with fur, and found new and effective ways to dye it. They also further broke with "tradition" and began to shear the garment slightly. The results are catching the eyes of the big name designers and fur seems to be making a comeback.
Added to this was the widespread use of quick-kill trapping techniques which addressed the concerns many had regarding inhumane treatment and cruelty.
I am thoroughly a "jeans and T Shirt" guy to the core, but I have to admit the jackets they were showing did look pretty sharp.
If anyone has access to the stream video feeds from cbc this one is worth watching. More info at http://www.cbc.ca and follow the links. There's a short version of the story on-line there but the one aired on TV was much more decriptive and informative.
Check it out.
