Fashion trumps compassion as fur makes a comeback
By SHELLEY EMLING The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

New York -- Jennifer Lopez is wearing it. So is Madonna. Supermodel Naomi Campbell once swore she'd never wear it, but even she has swapped sides.

Fur. Whether it's falling to the floor, wrapped around one's neck, or lining a trendy denim jacket, fur is making a comeback, say fashion experts.

Last year more than 300 designers -- many of whom had deserted fur only a few years ago -- included it in their fall collections.

It's enough to make the animal-rights activists who were so successful at quashing sales in the 1990s jump out of their skin.

"It's not just a matter of seeing thousands of mink coats on the street," said Keith Kaplan, executive director of the Fur Information Council of America. "Today you're finding furs in trendy styles from hip-hop to hippie chic."

Fur sales totaled $1.53 billion in 2001, and the figures for 2002 are expected to be up by 8 to 10 percent, according to the council, which represents manufacturers and retailers nationwide.

The year 2000 was particularly strong, boasting sales of $1.69 billion, a sharp climb from $1 billion in 1991.

The council blames the dip in 2001 on the economy, the terrorist attacks, and an unseasonably warm winter.

But this winter is a different story.

At Neiman Marcus, fur sales are showing double-digit growth this year over last year, said the store's fashion director, Joan Kaner. The freezing temperatures that have gripped much of the nation have added momentum to sales.

But the trend also has been fueled by the industry's burgeoning efforts to be more creative in order to appeal to a broader -- and especially younger -- clientele.

"We believe fur is becoming less and less popular and that the fur trade is playing around with the numbers to make sales figures appear higher," said Lisa Franzetta, PETA's campaign coordinator.

She said the cost of storing fur coats in temperature-controlled facilities is being included in sales totals, a charge denied by the fur industry.

Franzetta said an increasing number of designers such as Stella McCartney are using faux fur, so that it might appear that more people on the streets are wearing real fur when in actuality they're not.

"We believe people are still apprehensive about going outside with a bunch of corpses hanging off their backs," she said. Read more