Hip-Hop’s Relationship with Fur
Animal fur is one of the most expensive apparel fabrics in the world, and for centuries it’s been viewed as a symbol of elegance. With a taste for all things luxury, celebrities have been using fur as status symbol for decades, with artists such as Marilyn Monroe and Aretha Franklin having been known for their extensive personal collections.
Luxury and poverty are a paradox that go hand-in-hand, by wearing your success its sometimes the only way to show it. Renowned gangsters like Frank Lucas epitomised this in 1971 when pulling up to the Frazier vs Ali fight in a full Chinchilla fit. Dapper Dan has stated that it was fur coats that kickstarted his legendary path into design. However, once lacing his clients in the luxury fabric he found fur to be too seasonal, eventually learning embroidery and finding his bootleg aesthetic.
From fox to chinchilla to mink, these references in songs boomed in the 2000s and saw hip-hop really start to embrace fur. 2002s New York Fashion Week produced arguably the most iconic photo in hip-hop when Cam’Ron donned a pink fur jacket, matching fur headband and holding the classic pink flip phone — a look that’s been replicated at Halloween parties ever since. Fur has also been associated with flamboyant 70s styled pimps since Super Fly. Snoop Dogg appropriated this circa 2003 when channelling his pimp persona, sporting pimp sticks, fur coats and 4-button suit jackets during his ‘Rhythm & Gangsta’ album era.
Kanye West represented the fur era of the 2010s, with the trend widely catching on by 2014. After photos emerged of Ye’s Yeezy Season 5 collection in 2017, it prompted backlash from PETA and artist Sia, urging the rapper to go fur-free.
With several fashion houses going fur-free and many countries banning fur farming, people are turning to celebrities to see this trend disappear. Last year both Cardi B and Big Boi received backlash for using major public appearances to wear fur. Despite the widespread acceptance of the cause, synthetic fur hasn’t caught on as well as expected largely based on the lack of luxury appeal.
Ye on ‘Theraflu’ — “Tell PETA my mink is dragging on the floor”
Written by Ali Twice for @originalshift
