By Brianne Hogan / Source: Ecorazzi

You know faux fur is on the rise when animal activist and fashion designer Stella McCartney is proudly showcasing it on her runway.

McCartney surprised many earlier this year when, after years of eschewing faux fur, the lifelong vegetarianunveiled fake fur coats at her fashion shows in Paris and New York.

“We have been looking at fake furs for years, but never felt it was the right message for us to promote the look of fur,” McCartney told Women’s Wear Daily. “But moreover, the material and fabrics that we kept seeing as a substitute were just not great nor inspiring enough to really be able to make a statement about it. Then after seeing probably over 200 hundred different kinds of fake fur, we finally saw the right ones we wanted to work with. We found something that looks great and is consistent with our philosophy on luxury and cruelty-free fashion; so it felt like the right time.”

She wasn’t the only designer who thought so. Faux fur has seen a recent uprise in the high-end fashion industry. From Julie de Libran for Sonia by Sonia Rykiel to Kate Spade, faux fur has been making frequent appearances for the upcoming fall season. (Even Kesha started a fauxfur line a few years back.)

The designers’ motivation for faux fur vary. Some, like McCartney and Hannah Weiland are working with it for ethical reasons, while others seemingly don’t have an opinion about it.

Hussein Chalayan, who included faux fur in his fall collections, doesn’t adhere to a strict ethical compass about the issue, though “I would find it more difficult to be part of a cycle where animals would have to be killed constantly”

He went on to say that buying faux fur is a complex issue for consumers, too. “There are definitely women who only care about the look, others who have ethical issues and won’t touch real fur, and some who won’t condone the use of real fur, but would not mind having a vintage piece as a one-off,” Chalayan says.

Most designers like faux fur because it’s easier to work with, and aesthetically pleasing. Technological advancements have also helped with designers adopting the trend. And the price value doesn’t hurt, either.

However, McCartney’s furs still fetch upwards of $5,000.

Read more @ Ecorazzi