Since the advent of the Origin Assured label, which guarantees both sustainable and responsible farming, a raft of new designers have been queuing up to work with fur and presenting it as a focal point in their collections.  This enthusiasm is being expressed in an exciting new era of design through new ways to incorporate fur that is revolutionising the industry as fur fashion has become a year-round companion.

Fur is not the heavy material it was once deemed to be, with clever manipulations from designers making it a fashion favourite in summer, winter, night or day.  It was in 1965 when the future of fur was to be literally, re-shaped, as emerging fashion giant Fendi began a relationship with the creative force of then young designer, Karl Lagerfeld.  Lagerfeld’s zeal for fur fashion was harmoniously matched by the buying prowess of Fendi, bringing to the market, some of the finest furs around and this work alongside Paola Fendi over the years has inspired a new generation of fur fashion products.  They invested in research and new processes that saw variations in tanning and colours, new ways to pleat and weave beside innovative cuts and original patterns, and all without compromising the intrinsic warmth or known qualities of fur.

Today, designers have taken these methods to new levels and with different techniques applied; fur is subsequently now much lighter to wear.  For examples on how clever workings with fur can lead to the perfect summer outfit, you only have to look to the Spring/Summer 2011 collection of Dennis Basso.  His sensuous swing coats combine the opulent adorning of soft sable and chinchilla furs woven into fly-away fabrics such as nylon, to create an ultra elegant silhouette in warm neutrals that would lovingly compliment any outfit.   Family fashion house J.Mendel’s fox and tulle netting evening wear boleros also cut a striking figure in their fresh ice blue or pearl grey, alongside their Tibetan Lamb tiled boleros and cardigans in blush.  Taking a leaf out of fashionista Kate Moss’ book, these cardigans look just as classy added to a jeans and t-shirt combo for glamming up the day wear, as they do strutting down the catwalk accompanied by evening gowns to brighten up the night.

Using new methods to create classic Hollywood styles, Oscar de la Renta works with Chinese lamb, Barquzine sable, mink and Finn racoon in his Spring/Summer 2011 collection to create stoles, shrugs, boleros and coats worthy of the silver screen and so much lighter on the shoulders than their 50’s counterparts.  While cutting for cutting-edge, Helen Yarmak aims to please with combining a must-have season style of high colour with sumptuous furs that scream to be the star.  While surprisingly lightweight, these designs look much fuller in body and fur volume.  Yarmak’s gilets are infused with the vibrant colours of bright yellow or turquoise and royal blues, making the fur the absolute centre of attention and with cuts and colours combined in such a trend-slapping way; they most certainly deserve their time in the fashion spotlight.

Hats have also turned heads with traditional cuts firmly back on the fur fashion map.  While master fur milliner Philip Treacy may have caught worldwide attention through his designs for the British Royals, his Trapper or Cossack designs are perhaps more suited to winter months, but this season’s summer styles don’t weigh as heavy on the mind as you might think.  Look to the scorching ranges in the Australian Outback where a fur felt fedora is a staple piece of headwear, for proof that its inherent comfort can be accessed without overheating the think tank.  Fuudluxe’s fur-lined snood’s are the perfect sunny example, as their Disco Diva and Festival Floral designs are coupled with denim and sequins to dance their way on to the trend-conscious summer concert scene.  As too will bags, as they go back to nature with a series of animal prints, reptile skins and fur trims that are destined to stand out from the summer crowd.