GOOD FUR

Every week, I’d scour Waterlooplein and Noordermarkt for the nicest secondhand fur coats when I’d just moved to Amsterdam. Naturally, I too become nauseous when I see how fur animals are kept and bred for their soft jackets. But secondhand coats already had an entire life history and I could’ve given them a second one. I thought that sounded morally justified…
But when I went to do my grocery shopping at the organic market in my latest purchase, I received many reproachful looks or was even asked whether I was really wearing fur. And no one cared for my second life theory. Fur was fur. Period.

So I donated the fur coat to a friend and my new quest began: finding the perfect, fake fur coat. I’ve found a beautiful Tiger of Sweden coat and two vintage ones. The vintage ones almost touch the floor and look so real that people still look at me angrily. “It’s a fake!” I want to scream, but hey, I know it’s fake and that’s all that matters. Well, supposedly. But it’s not. Conclusion: I fear the outside world’s judgment.

“So I donated the fur coat to a friend and my NEW QUEST began: finding the perfect, fake fur coat.”

There are brands that use fur in a more ethical way in the Netherlands. Django, for example, has a beautiful collection in which fur is used exclusively from Furlab (ethical fur: www.furlab.nl)

I won’t quickly borrow these items for a premiere because you can bet people will scream at you before you’re even able to explain. Just look at what happened to Arie Boomsma when he wore a fur collar on television and the heated debate this sparked on Twitter. According to Arie, this brand only worked with ‘ethical fur’. But the ensuing Twitter responses were harsh. Most Twitterers thought organic fur was nonsense and nonexistent at that.

I still haven’t decided. Does ethical fur exist? I’m going to take a look at Furlab and I will share my findings with you.
And until then, I’ll devote myself to all those great fashion houses that included so many fake furs in their collections. My latest object of desire? The black, faux fur coat from Acne, really to die for.

So, if you think you see me in a fantastic fur coat; it’s me. But the coat is fake. I mean the fur. I’m still a label lover.