Jean Paul Gaultier’s provocative Autumn/Winter collection, unveiled during Paris Fashion Week recently, reignited an age-old debate. Combining Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ track with animal call sounds, models repeatedly strutted down the runway in fox pelts, long trains of fur and animal heads atop their own as finishing accessories. The use of fur in fashion collections has long been the domain of high-end designer franchise, marred with controversy as a distinctly luxury item- the reliable winter income for fashion houses conscious of the profit margins. Gaultier’s collection used a tried and tested fashion formula, though his particularly extensive exploitation of animal skin means ethical dimensions of the fashion industry are no longer glossed over in catwalk reports – fur is firmly in the limelight once more.

READ MORE...