Faux Fur Accents Are This Season’s Tease-And-Please

THE SHAGGY COAT IS THE NEW TUXEDO!

After Instagram’s obsession with the Mob Wife aesthetic last year, Milan’s runways confirmed her counterpart has arrived: the Mob Husband. And trust the Italians to nail the look. This season, shearling and faux fur weren’t mere flourishes; they became the markers of swagger, stitched into collars, cuffs and sweeping lapels that command attention.

At Dolce & Gabbana, Emporio Armani, Zegna and Prada, shearling and faux fur surfaced as defining accents. No stranger to drama, D&G’s theme this season was “Paparazzi,” and the collection pushed fur-lined maximalism into unapologetic Italian opulence, pairing plush coats with denim for a new kind of aristocratic nonchalance. Prada, more restrained but no less impactful, offered raw-cut faux fur accents across sweaters and overcoats. These pieces that wouldn’t look out of place in an American Western.

Elsewhere, designers pushed fur into more unexpected territories. EGONlab’s take on the furry collars and cuffs was rather gothic, something straight out of a Vampire series. MSGM’s A/W 25 collection, “Follow The Rabbit,” spotlighted hand-crafted gugliatura (an Italian fringing technique) textures and sherpa jacquard with a teddy-like finish, adding depth and intricacy to its

and knitwear.

Ami and Paul Smith brought playfulness. Ami’s collection was generously peppered with shaggy textures enveloping the collar of a parka or lining the textured coats, while Paul Smith showcased a green leather jacket with a shearling collar slightly evoking the ’70s. Even Saint Laurent’s artistic director Anthony Vaccarello turned to fur as he reimagined the exuberant ’80s, pairing the house’s characteristic boxy tailoring with feathered topcoats.

At Valentino, Alessandro Michele drew on David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, layering polished executive looks with shaggy faux fur for a cinematic touch. A continuation of his Gucci-era penchant for furry accents, famously dressing Harry Styles and Jared Leto in feathery suits.

Back home, designer labels like Siddartha Tytler and Sahil Aneja have been proposing furry accents for men for over a decade now. “Fur instantly elevates any evening look and infuses a touch of elegance. Moreover, it resonates with our evening wear and complements our embroideries and prints,” says Tytler, whose Couture 2025 showcase, titled, ‘Caligula’s Feast’ played out the chic appeal of fur by lining it on floral embroidered evening jackets and cocktail coats. “I’m a 90s kid—an era which was all about glamour hence fur, shearling pieces resonate with my personal style,” he says.

Looking back, in Egypt, leopard fur was the musthave for royalty and nobility, a symbol of power over the masses. By the 13th century, British aristocracy embraced it with equal flair. Fast-forward to the 1920s, and caviar-guzzling Ivy League students strutted around in raccoon coats. Fur gradually morphed into a mark of rebellion for musicians—remember Mick Jagger in a fur parka, 1964?

The 1970s brought protests from activists and animal rights advocates, pushing the luxury industry toward synthetic alternatives, mostly polyester. By the ’90s, fur found new life with hip-hop and rap artists. In the 2000s, it became synonymous with gangster grunge: Snoop Dogg in a fur-accented suit, Kanye West at Givenchy FW14 in what looked like rabbit fur, and Justin Bieber on the streets of LA in a coyote-fur coat in 2016.

According to Aneja, fur may have been frowned upon, but it never went out of fashion. “To the best of my knowledge, luxury connoisseurs have always been partial to it,” says the designer, who experimented with faux fur in his 2016–17 collections, and it made a marked appearance in 2019. “Fur houses like Fendi even offer locker services to preserve mink. I’ve always associated fur with luxury and kudos to the designers who are reimagining faux fur and doing an amazing job.”

Aneja suggests styling an evening tuxedo with a stole in furry trim or a long furry scarf—either tucked in or out. “If I create a fur collar jacket, wearability becomes less; hence I’d rather do a look with a detachable collar which can be worn more.”

From palace halls to Milan runways, fur—real or faux—remains the ultimate way to add swagger, drama and unapologetic luxury to your wardrobe.

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