 "EXPLAINED | What does Kylie Jenner's lionhead Schiaparelli gown symbolise and how brands are experimenting with the wild")
Kylie Jenner’s black Schiaparelli gown with a massive life-like lionhead is a look that will be remembered for years to come in fashion history. The gown was a part of Schiaparelli’s spring 2023 couture show and was showcased by model Irina Shayk along with models Naomi Campbell and Shalom Harlow donning animal heads of wolf and leopard, respectively.
As the images of Kylie Jenner sporting the look went viral, it instantly drew flak as many criticised the makeup mogul of promoting animal cruelty. However, even though negative comments poured in, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk hailed the Schiaparelli collection as “three-dimensional animal heads,” none of which incorporated real fur or leather, as “fabulously innovative,” in an interview with a news portal. She further said, “Kylie, Naomi and Irina’s looks celebrate the beauty of wild animals and may be a statement against trophy hunting, in which lions and wolves are torn apart to satisfy human egotism.” Aware of the wrong message it could send across, Schiaparelli too made sure to clarify in its Instagram post. They wrote, “Leo Couture…Embroidered Lion in hand sculpted foam, wool and silk faux fur, and hand painted to look as life-like as possible, celebrating the glory of the natural world. Nothing is as it appears to be in Schiaparellis Inferno Couture…NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN MAKING THIS LOOK.”
The faux trend
Early on, fashion house Stella McCartney built its reputation as a ‘vegan’ brand which does not use fur or any other animal products. In her fall ‘17 collection, the luxury fashion label debuted what they labelled as ‘skin-free skin’ or in simple terms ’ faux leather’̣ “I am so excited that we have finally developed fabrics that look just as good as the real thing, and therefore genuinely pose a question to the industry about why anyone needs to use leather any more,” the designer had told The Guardian during the launch.
In July last year, Dutch designer Iris van Herpen had made a mark showcasing vegan haute couture dress in collaboration with the Magnum ice cream brand, in which the designer relied on 3D printing to design a dress from used cocoa bean shells. In recent years, brands have also experimented with materials including pineapple leaf fiber, apple peels, mushroom, and corn. This includes a list of luxury vegan brands like Will’s Vegan Shoes, Doshi, Ethique212 and more.
The increasing use of faux leather and fake animal skin on the runways has been setting an example for sustainability in fashion and going cruelty free. According to the report titled ‘Vegan Leather Market Research Report by Product, by Application, by Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19, the global vegan leather market size was estimated at $37.90 billion in 2020 and expected to reach $41.54 billion in 2021, at a CAGR 9.96% to reach $73.70 billion by 2027.
In the last few years, as awareness towards animal cruelty has increased, several brands have pledged to stop using animal leather. In 2021, luxury fashion conglomerate Kering, that owns Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and Saint Laurent, decided to end the use of animal fur across its brands in autumn/winter 2022 collections. The sustainability experiments also lie in the way new fabrics are being invented. Take Mylo for instance, the ‘un-leather’ backed by Stella McCartney, Adidas, Gucci-owner Kering and Lululemon. It is made from from mycelium, or fungi roots. Pinatex, made from pineapple waste, plastic-free alternative to leather made from plants and minerals - Mirum, and Reishi material made from mycelium sheets grown from specially-engineered cells and fed using agricultural waste, are some new materials that luxury brands are using to create their designs. With Kylie Jenner’s lionhead, roaring of the essence of nature, the fashion industry sure seems to be taking a note from the wild.
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