Can the fashion industry’s backlash against fur benefit the denim industry?
It depends on your aesthetic.
Designer Tiziano Guardini’s “denim fur” caught the attention of fashion week goers during Milan Fashion Week. The pieces—a long coat, short jacket and jean vest—featured layers of shredded denim that mimicked the volume and movement of fur.
The fabrics were developed in collaboration with Isko Creative Room, Isko’s Italian denim design and innovation hub, and were made using certified organic cotton and pre-consumer recycled cotton. The collection also featured fluid denim trousers, jean shirts and a padded jean jacket made with Isko’s sustainable denim.
Sustainability is top of mind for the up-and-coming Italian designer. In 2017, Guardini won the Franca Sozzani GCC Award for ‘Best Emerging Designer’ during the Green Carpet Fashion Awards. His previous collections have included garments made with recycled nylon and organic silk.
Guardini is among the designers to recently lend their voice to the anti-fur movement. In 2017, luxury powerhouse Gucci pledged to go fur-free, followed by Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo. Yoox Net-a-Porter also adopted a fur-free policy that bans all accessories, apparel and footwear made from animal fur.
“Western countries do not need to use animal furs but some fashion houses continue to do so. I’m hoping that by creating a sustainable alternative such as denim fur we will be able to show people that fur alternatives are just as beautiful and aesthetically pleasing as the real thing,” he told The Independent.
Isko shares Guardini’s stance against the use of fur in fashion. “We believe that denim ‘fur’ can be a responsible, fun, hype and cruelty-free alternative to animal fur,” Fabio Di Liberto, Isko brand director told The Independent.
Isko has also worked with designer Ksenia Schnaider to create ‘denim fur.’ On Instagram, the mill said the process requires threading and washing denim to create a fluffy and frayed effect. Each handmade garment take about a week to create.