Fur is firmly back in fashion - and even more divisive than ever

It's having a moment with celebrities, fashionistas and Gen Z. But wearing any kind of fur, from vintage to synthetic, poses some difficult questions. Could a new plant-based faux fur be the way forward?

From Tory Burch in New York and Simone Rocha in London, to Fendi in Milan and Miu Miu in Paris, fur dominated the autumn/winter 2025-26 catwalks. And celebrities matched the runways, with Hailey Bieber, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Taylor Swift and Rihanna all spending the start of the year wrapped up in faux and vintage fur coats.

The last time fur hit the headlines was in 2017, when Gucci pledged to go fur-free, influencing a host of designer brands to follow suit. The move was welcomed by animal rights campaigners, but what followed was the scaling of a new problem: much of the real fur has been replaced by synthetic alternatives that are derived from fossil fuels. Given the tensions around animal welfare and the environment, why is fur now firmly back in fashion?

It began in early 2024 with the arrival of the mob wife aesthetic, an ostentatious, glamorous response to the understated, minimalist trend that preceded it: stealth wealth. "Reviving historical looks for contemporary wear is a natural part of the fashion cycle. It's escapism, and who doesn't want some of that">window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'alternating-thumbnails-a', container: 'taboola-below-article', placement: 'Below Article', target_type: 'mix' });