Bottega Veneta Launches Teddy Bear Faux Fur Coats

This fall ushers in what's apparently the year of the fur vest — but is it made from animal pelts, a "certified animal-friendly" faux fur alternative, or yet another alternative from a manufacturer better known for its children's toys?

Luxury fashion house Bottega Veneta is bringing fashionistas tailored coats made from the same shaggy fabric used by the stuffed-animal experts at German toymaker Steiff. In Style magazine reports that Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier "flipped" for the Steiff-favored faux wool and alpaca, noting, "They do a poetic job of imitating animal furs."

Both real and faux fur are seemingly everywhere in fashion this season, much to the chagrin of advocates who claim we shouldn't even wear as much as a scrap of faux trim. The idea, of course, is that wearing fake fur promotes the idea that fur is stylish. The more we want, the more we'll buy — and that's a problem, in a system rife with mislabeling in which your faux fur clothing may not be as faux as you think.

Shocking investigations by the Humane Society of the United States have found that major retailers throughout the United States have been advertising fur-trimmed clothing as faux fur, even though it was made from real animal fur. Of the garments they tested, 96 percent of "faux" fur trims were actually made with raccoon dog, domestic dog or wolf fur. Not exactly what you had in mind when you reached for the "faux fur" tag, was it?

Faux fur does have its place. In London, the Queen's Guard is testing a new synthetic fur replacement for its iconic black fur hats. The new material is  lighter, more breathable and less expensive to produce. Durability is a major factor in faux fur applications.

Of the Steiff fabrics being used at Bottega Veneta, Maier notes, "Like most German children, I still have my original Steiff teddy." That sounds like a win/win proposition to me. I'd like to see consumers buying products they enjoy with quality that will last — better for animals, better for the Earth, and better for our wallets, too.

Photo credit: Harry Ng