The Butterfly Effect

Butterflies are usually associated with femininity, but also have connotations of resurrection, celebration and the soul. Aside from that, they vary in colour and patterns, making lovely inspiration for the fashion industry. Heres a bit of trivia for you; research on butterflies also led to the design of the wide wing kite and aircraft design. 

Have you ever wanted to touch a butterfly? I haven't, they give me the heebyjeebys. But you wont hurt it if you do decide to touch one, but you may rub off a bit of its colour, which are tiny scales. A butterfly's skeleton is also on the outside of its body, making the butterfly related to crabs and lobsters! Butterflies are brightly coloured on top to attract a mate, and the colour underneath the wings are for camouflage purposes. Eeee its like watching QI, you learn all sorts!

Influences from butterflies have made their way into the fashion industry via structure and print. In 2008, they also fluttered into the Paris Dior Homme Flagship store.  "Nine thousand black decoupage replicas serpentine across the ceiling and walls of the white boutique, like Hitchcock's birds only less menacing, and much prettier." The installation was there for a month.

Peta

Peta is a UK based charity organisation for the welfare of animals. "PETA works through public education, research, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement and protest campaigns." One of Peta's most recent campaigns looks into 'Crufts' dog show. They enlighten how breeding for these shows is done for looks and does not consider the effects on the dog's health or temperament. To read more on this campaign, click here.
Celebrities have the power to make people stop and listen, and Peta definately use this to their advantage, so here are a few of my favourite celebrity campaigns.

I am a massive lover of leopard print. I went out dressed as cavegirl, and people questioned if I was even dressed up at all. There are only 35 Amur Leopards left in the world as they are victims of poaching. To adopt one of these leopards and save them from their inevitable extinction, click here. This post is a little celebration of the stunning animals that I love so much.

However, some people love it just a little too much.....

Nicki Minaj

'Pat Butcher'

Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi

'Bet Lynch'

Leather

Leather has been around for decades, and the item that has been around for the longest is the leather jacket. The jacket has been reinvented, but the staple Biker Jacket still holds its tough roots. Irving Schott designed the first leather biker jacket and sold it for $5.50 at the Harley Davidson Store in New York in 1928. Named after his favourite cigar, it was dubbed The Perfecto.

Marlon Brando - The Wild Ones

James Dean

Debbie Harry

The Ramones

Kate Moss



This season, once again, leather hit the runway. We saw the material used to create new textures by Gareth Pugh, and new kid on the block Phoebe English.

Phoebe English

Phoebe English

Gareth Pugh

"Leather can be made from cows, pigs, goats, and sheep; exotic animals such as alligators, ostriches, and kangaroos; and even dogs and cats, who are slaughtered for their meat and skin in China, which exports their skins around the world. Because leather is normally not labeled, you never really know where (or whom) it came from. In India, a PETA investigation found that workers break cows' tails and rub chili peppers and tobacco into their eyes in order to force them to get up and walk after they collapse from exhaustion on the way to the slaughterhouse." - Peta

Will we ever shake off the leather jacket, or will it always be a staple piece, regardless of the suffering? 

What are we doing this fur?

I was absolutely disgusted with Kanye West's fashion show at Paris this season. He had little to contribute in terms of shape and style, but to add insult to injury his use of fur was embarrassing. Models strutted the runway draped in Astrakhan, the fur of an unborn lamb. The sheep is slaughtered, and the coat of the unborn lamb taken. As a huge Kim Kardashian fan, I was disappointed (but not suprised) to see her sat front row in fur.

As well as fur, the collection included pieces made from fox fur and a crocodile whose skin is routinely removed from their bodies after they are pole-axed and left to die slowly.

Saga Furs is an auction company that sells and promotes premium furs. According to their brand values, sustainability is based on respect for people, the planet and animal welfare. Sure 'Peta' would beg to differ.

This French Vogue spread caused quite a stir as it somewhat implies that the woman in fur is 'sticking it' to the campaigners. Is this Anna Wintour living vicariously through the model?

 Back in 2008, Kate Winslet, a vocal opponent of fur, agreed to a Vanity Fair photoshoot under the impression that the fur she would be posing with would be fake. However, campaigners quickly spotted signs that the fur was in fact a luxury Italian silver fox throw. Vanity Fair apologised for the miscommunication.

Before

After

Can someone please tell me, what are we doing this fur?