Overview

A groundbreaking, informative, and thought-provoking exploration of fur’s fashionable and controversial history The first and only book of its kind, Fur: A Sensitive History looks at the impact of fur on society, politics, and, of course, fashion. This material has a long, complex, and rich history, culminating in recent and ongoing anti-fur debates. Jonathan Faiers discusses how fur—long praised for its warmth, softness, and connotation of status—became so controversial, at the center of campaigns against animal cruelty and the movement toward ethical fashion. At the same time, fake fur now faces a backlash of its own, given the environmental impact of its manufacture and its links to fast fashion.   Divided into five sections—dedicated to hair, pelt, coat, skin, and fleece—the book surveys not only the politics of fur but also its centrality to western fashion, the tactile pleasure it gives, and its use in literature, art, and film. This thoughtfully reasoned, eloquently written, and spectacularly illustrated examination of fur is both timely and essential, filling a gap in fashion scholarship and appealing to a broad audience.

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9780300227208

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Reviews

“Comprehensively and sensitively researched...An invaluable resource for those interested in materials of all kinds and fascinated by fashion’s ever-shifting transformations.”—Sarah E. Braddock Clarke, Selvedge “Fur: A Sensitive History is an exceptionally successful book in that it takes on an incredibly complicated material and provides readers with a solid understanding of the complex history of fur when no other book exists on the topic.”—Carson Poplin, Journal of Dress History “The volume lives up to the sensory nature of the subject and is attractively designed and illustrated with extensive colour and black and white photographs...This makes the book a pleasure to look at and read, while the juxtaposition of images from different time periods and disciplines inspires reflection and comparisons.”—Danielle Sprecher, Journal of Design History

Comprehensively and sensitively researched...An invaluable resource for those interested in materials of all kinds and fascinated by fashion's ever-shifting transformations. -Sarah E. Braddock Clarke, Selvedge

Comprehensively and sensitively researched...An invaluable resource for those interested in materials of all kinds and fascinated by fashion's ever-shifting transformations. -Sarah E. Braddock Clarke, Selvedge Fur: A Sensitive History is an exceptionally successful book in that it takes on an incredibly complicated material and provides readers with a solid understanding of the complex history of fur when no other book exists on the topic. -Carson Poplin, Journal of Dress History

Comprehensively and sensitively researched...An invaluable resource for those interested in materials of all kinds and fascinated by fashion's ever-shifting transformations. -Sarah E. Braddock Clarke, Selvedge Fur: A Sensitive History is an exceptionally successful book in that it takes on an incredibly complicated material and provides readers with a solid understanding of the complex history of fur when no other book exists on the topic. -Carson Poplin, Journal of Dress History The volume lives up to the sensory nature of the subject and is attractively designed and illustrated with extensive colour and black and white photographs...This makes the book a pleasure to look at and read, while the juxtaposition of images from different time periods and disciplines inspires reflection and comparisons. -Danielle Sprecher, Journal of Design History

Author Information

Jonathan Faiers is professor of fashion thinking at Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton.

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