It's real fur.
But Chie Imai has added recycled polyester as fabric to a few of her 2008-2009 collection items to make it luxury fur with a green conscience.
My story.
Two women were sitting across the table from me during the show.
One of them said with a giggle: "This fur costs 20 million yen. You can buy an apartment with that."
Then the other said: "You cannot buy an apartment with 20 million yen."
Imai says global warming has hurt the demand for fur, although sales are growing in new markets like Russia and China.
And so she has also come up with "seasonless fur" products.
She showed me a short jacket of white lacey fabric with white fur trim that she said can be worn in air-conditioned places even in the summer.
Ecological fur with a green conscience is fur that's still on the back of its original owner.
ReplyDeleteThese people have too much money and not enough sense.
Thanks for your interest in my story. It is a fascinating marketing move to bill luxury fur as ecological.
ReplyDeleteJapanese associate the phrase "mottainai" with ecology/being green.
Mottainai translates to: "that's wasteful" and is the kind of thing your mother says when you don't finish everything on your plate at dinner.
It's really ironic when you think about "mottainai" and luxury fur!
Imagine the powerful ecological statement she could have made, had she incorporated sheared fur, harvested humanely, or a high quality faux fur.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right: it is ironic to equate mottainai with real fur.
I'm glad I discovered your thoughtful and eloquent blog!
Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJournalism is more meaningful if we write about topics that interest people.