The recently concluded Copenhagen Fashion Week was declared the first fur-free fashion week. At the same time, breeding mink in Denmark has become legal again after the pandemic ban has been lifted. So will the fur fashion of the future be dominated by ‘fake fur’ or animal fur? And will the highly specialised furrier’s craft survive? The exhibition FUR turns its attention to this controversial article of clothing, paving the way for a debate about the future of fur in the light of the various dilemmas associated with it – in terms of climate, health and animal welfare issues.

Fur: for centuries people have worn animal skins to keep warm in cold regions, but fur has also been a luxury item reserved for the few. It has been the subject of heated discussions about animal welfare and the industrial exploitation of animals, and at the same time it is a durable material that can be reused and passed down from one generation to the next. 

A new take
The exhibition places particular focus on the mink coat as a controversial item of clothing, displaying eight brightly coloured, striking fur garments from Kopenhagen Fur, which is the largest fur auction house in the world and the cooperative organisation for Danish mink breeders until its planned closure in 2024. The eight fur coats were created by designers and design students from Denmark and abroad – some at Kopenhagen Fur’s own studio. Each of the coats offer a new take on the traditional fur coat, combining edginess and humour in their exploration of what a fur coat is and can do – all while offering new perspectives on the history of fur and on the traditional fur-making craft. 

A controversial material
In recent years, the already heated debate about the use of animal fur for clothing has grown even fiercer. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a number of European countries to ban mink breeding, as happened in Denmark in 2020. The risk of infection coupled with animal welfare issues have caused nations such as France, the Netherlands, Norway, Great Britain and Germany to phase out their mink breeding industries, and established fashion brands such as Armani, Chanel, Gucci and Prada will no longer use fur in their collections. Animal welfare has become a battleground for skirmishes between animal activists and the fur breeders and farmers whose animals are part of industrial production. 

A disappearing craft?
Danish mink have been praised all over the world for their outstanding quality, and the Danish furriers are skilled craftsmen who not only the design the furs, but also carry out the actual crafting of the pieces. Another aspect of their work has consisted in altering and re-designing older furs, transforming them into new models. The furs on display here demonstrate that the furrier’s craft has been evolving in recent years, introducing new, experimental and innovative techniques. By exhibiting these furs, the museum directs attention to the furrier’s craft, which may be in the process of being phased out in Denmark as mink breeding is scaled back to a minimum. The ban on breeding mink in Denmark was lifted on 1 January 2023, so whether mink breeding – and thus the furrier’s craft – has a future in Denmark remains an open question.