leather, fur and wood

I want to know what the hell is going on these days!

I’ll start with wood. Do you remember not too long ago when all anyone could talk about was saving the forests? We all knew plastic could be recycled and the rainforest and all the wonderful creatures in it would be spared. Well why has wood become such a huge trend again? I’m talking about the new buzz-word “sustainability”. I’m not talking about bamboo. Bamboo is truly sustainable. That stuff grows so fast we could have bamboo highways. I’m not talking about recycled wood from old buldings or old products being repurposed. I’m talking about hardwood deforesting. Well no kidding, wood is sustainable. You can plant an acorn, walk away and in 50 years you’ll have a killer tree. This doesn’t justify the trend of everything under the sun being made from wood again. All of the design blogs are starting to resemble a Sears catalog from 1976, showcasing tons of new wood products. I find this incredibly irresponsible since the cheaper companies always imitate the higher end companies in a much more haphazard way. “Throw away your perfectly good Swingline stapler for a new ‘eco-friendly sustainable’ wood stapler that will look really cool next to your macbook.” Pardon me but, give me a damn break.

(I also really love the home decor blogs that suggest getting rid of the existing stuff in your home and replacing it with eco-minded stuff. Seriously? Seriously? Apartment Therapy, I’m talking to you! Do you realize what you guys have been saying?)

Now I will divert your attention to fur. Weren’t we all past fur around the time Dallas went off the air? Didn’t all the supermodels say they’d rather be nude than wear fur? Didn’t we all see heinous exposés of baby seals being clubbed? So why, for all that is holy, is fur still being accepted in high fashion? Why is Vogue still allowing Blackglama to advertise this time of year? It’s not like they’re even a major financial player. They’re a meager one-page ad in the center of the magazine. Why oh why is Rick Owens making fur vests?!! (I used to love you Rick… I mean, love you!) I will link to Poochie‘s blog entry about the selfishness of the whole thing because she really did a swell job writing this little piece.

Lastly, leather. Ahhhh leather. Leather is HUGE right now. Leather jackets, leather leggings, surprisingly fresh feeling full leather skirts, leather accessories… and of course there’s leather shoes and bags. I don’t own many things made from leather. My studded belt that I’ve had since my punky heyday still fits and I will always wear it. I’m not a vegetarian and that cow was eaten a looooong time ago. I’m also just now starting to really appreciate the joy of an insanely comfortable shoe which, for the most part, is not a stiff synthetic one. (I’m very curious about the comfort of Natalie Portman’s vegan shoe line for Té Casan.) Beyond all of this, and my love of a rare steak, I have been giving more and more thought of going vegetarian.

I truly believe that fur in fashion could easily be eliminated tomorrow and the world would be a much better place. However, I do not believe that we as a society are anywhere near wholeheartedly embracing vegetarianism. Right or wrong, we are a burger and steak culture that has spread it’s unhealthy influence across the globe. McDonalds opening sleek no-brand quarter-pounder only chains in Japan is testimony to the fact that we have such a long way to go. What is the answer? Do we boycott the leather that comes from these cows that are undoubtedly going to be eaten? Many people do but the beef business is still huge. Do we push harder for humane cattle raising? How can it even be properly regulated and monitored at the large scale it has currently reached? (In 1998, demand for beef was the lowest it had been in 20 years. Last year, we took a huge leap forward with demand. Have you seen those disgusting Hardee’s ads?)

What it all comes down to is personal choices. Choices direct the market. A low demand will lower supply. It couldn’t be more simple, and actually lends importance to your power as an individual consumer. I just have this strange feeling that things have run off course. I feel as if a lot of good was done a decade ago for love and respect for our planet and animals. Now the “green revolution” is a contradictory fad and so many people have forgotten about humane treatment of our animal friends.

Let’s go make some good choices!

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Tagged as: decor, fashion