Skins are back in fashion and more controversial than ever

De Tory Burch in New York and Simone Rocha in London, until Fendi in Milan and Miu Miu in Paris, the skin dominated the fall/winter 2025-2026 catwalks.

And the celebrities followed the trends, with Hailey Bieber, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Taylor Swift and Rihanna spending the year dressed in fake and vintage skin coats.

The last time the skin was in the spotlight was in 2017, when Gucci decided to ban the use of animal skins in its collections, influencing various luxury marks to do the same.

The movement was well regarded by animal rights advocates, but what was followed next was the emergence of a new problem: most skin was replaced by synthetic alternatives derived from fossil fuels.

With so many tensions on animal welfare and environment, why has the skin now come back to fashion?

It all began in early 2024 with the arrival of aesthetics “Mob Wife” – or in the Portuguese translation, “wife of mobster” – a glamorous response to the minimalist tendency that preceded it: the discreet wealth.

“Reviving historical looks for contemporary use is a natural process of the fashion cycle. It’s a escapism, and who doesn’t want a little of that?” Says Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas, an MBA associate professor in fashion business and entrepreneurship at Ravensbourne University in London.

“I was in a room when [antigo CEO] Marco Bizzarri announced that Gucci would no longer use animal skin in his collections, and I remember how impressive this change was to an Italian luxury brand, where the skin was such a present material. But the issue of fake skin is also complicated. “

Radclyffe -Thomas adds that since the decision of the brand of brand -banking brands of collections, the false skin market has evolved from the “fun skin” – with cheap, vibrant colors that did not try to imitate true skin – to another level of quality, where most consumers do not know how to differentiate the true fake skin.

Thus, the production of fabrics made from fossil fuels grew around the world, being polyester the most common, accounting for 57% of all production.

Even clothes made of recycled polyester are a problem because the model is not circular. The vast majority are made using plastic, not old textiles, which means the piece cannot be recycled again, and will probably end in landfills.

One way to keep false skin out of landfills, or delay this process, is to keep them in circulation.

In the clothing rental company by rotation, the rental of fake skin coats and wool was already growing even before the parades on the catwalks. London brand Charlotte Simone – which had false skin coats dressed by Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Madonna – is the third most rented brand of coats and jackets.

“High quality and well-made false skins, especially brand brands, tend to last longer, which means it is more proven that they are passed on, sold or rented than discarded,” says Eshita Kabra-Davaes, BBC’s BBC founder and CEO.

The global “second -hand” parts market is expected to reach $ 367 billion (approximately $ 2.1 trillion in the current price) by 2029, with a record consumers buying this type of clothing in 2024.

This year, as long as the fall/winter collections 2025-2026 were presented, the search for real and fake skins fired on the online rent and retail platforms.

Change of tastes

Holly Watkins, owner of Boutique Vintage One Scoop Store in northern London, says that in recent years he has seen a considerable change in the sale of true skins for false alternative skins, in response to the changes in their customers’ tastes and demands.

“I only see true skin if it’s a super special vintage piece that I can’t say, or if you have a collar or removable finish,” she tells the BBC.

“I personally have no problem with old skin [verdadeira]it is better to extend your life than to send to landfills. I have more problem with polyester, which will never biodegrate. “

But in conversations with vintage parts resellers in western London – where famous street fairs are such as the Portobello – Watkins market says many stores have never stopped selling true, old and new skins, with young people helping to boost this trend.

“The skin came back to fashion. Young people want more” was the title of a recent article published by the Wall Street Journal, and consensus seems to be that generation Z is running the return of vintage skins.

Madison Avenue, the largest buyer of fur used in the United States, reported a significant increase in sales, especially used parts. “We saw college students buy fur, something that hasn’t happened for years,” Larry Cowit, owner of Madison Avenue Furs, told BBC.

“The new skins were a concern of many young people and ethically they were comfortable with the vintage.”

According to Cowit, customers are buying vintage skins of all kinds, including Vison skin – a kind of mammal of the Furred family – fox and beaver, with larger silhouettes, from brands such as Christian Dior, Fendi, La Renta, Prada and YSL. “As soon as these brands arrive, they are sold quickly.”

On the catwalks of the latest Fashion Week events, most of the skins were false, although among the headlines of Paris Fashion Week was a Vison coat made of vintage skin of Gabriela Hearst, a brand of brand that positions itself as “luxury with conscience.”

Animal rights advocates do not accept the argument of ‘vintage skin’. “Regardless of when the damage was caused, vintage skin remains clothing made from the skin of a dead and cashed animal without need,” says Emma Håkansson, founder of the Fashion Justice collective.

“It is a symbol of human supremacy about other animals, and we should not accept it in the 21st century, when we have numerous options that do not include animal exploitation, death of wild species or industrial creation.”

A new alternative

Among the alternatives for skins made of fossil and animal fuels are Savian, a 100% skin -based skin -based skin, linen and hemp from Europe and produced in Italy.

Developed by Biofluff, the first piece produced with Savian was a coat designed by the designer of designer Stella McCartney, released during COP 28 in November 2023.

The following year, the skin was used by the Danni Danni brand to create a collection of bags for Copenhagen Fashion Week.

“We are working with several brands in luxury, contemporary and accessible markets to develop materials suitable for their needs,” said Biofluff co -founder Roni Gamzon, adding that the cost is still a challenge to expand the adoption of materials of this new generation.

“Many brands have built a dependence on low -cost synthetic materials made of mass in the Far East, which makes us impossible for us to compete purely for price.”

Biofluff is part of La Maison de Startups, a luxury conglomerate program LVMH to accelerate the implementation of new solutions within its brands portfolio, which includes Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Fendi and Céline.

On the other hand, LVMH also helps finance the International Skin Federation, paying 300,000 euros (approximately R $ 1.9 million in the current price) adherence to FUMERK, a global certification and traceability system of true skin.

Environmental Impact

The argument that synthetic skin has a greater environmental impact than true skin is questioned by a 2013 scientific study, which compared the impact of Vision’s true skin coats with fake -skinned coats, and found that the production of true vision coats has a greater climate impact.

When this study is considered along with two other factors – approximately 100 million animals are killed so that their skins are worn and more than 100 billion clothing items are produced globally each year (with 65% ending in landfills within 12 months) – is the production of skin clothing justified?

Cowit, who continues to sell both new skin types and vintage skins, believes it is up to customers to make this choice, while Radclyffe-Thomas says he was questioning his opinion against true skins when he worked in the United States and met people who hunted as part of their traditions.

“For many indigenous cultures, the skin of animals is part of a cultural heritage used for dresses in ceremonies and everyday life, and I think there is an argument to be respected,” she says, before remembering her time as a student, when she learned sewing techniques with a peleiro.

“Those classes made me realize the reality of the number of animals that are killed for clothes to be made, and that was fundamental for me to have my opinion about it: I never considered buying true skin.”

*Ana Santi is the author of the book “Three Things to Help Help The Planet” (three things to cure the planet “in the Portuguese translation, published by Welbeck Balance.

This text was originally published here.