I have a mink stole that belonged to my grandmother that is at least 70 years old. It featured heavily in the years my siblings and I played dress-ups but rarely made it out of the house. The last time I wore it was to my 21st birthday party, which was well over a decade ago. Despite wearing leather and occasionally eating meat, I would hesitate to wear it anywhere now.
In the past few years, real fur has fallen out of favour with much of the fashion industry. Luxury brands including Gucci, Chanel, Burberry and Prada have gone fur-free, as have fast-fashion brands such as Zara and H&M. The fur trade has been banned in Britain, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and some parts of the US. Notably, Australia does not have specific laws banning all fur imports or farming.
