Meet the designer behind the cruelty-free fur label out to prove why faux should be a forever favourite

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18th Oct 2019

Gilat Shani decided to launch her own faux fur label after seeing first-hand what she describes as the “true horrors of the leather and fur industries” while on a visit with other creatives to an overseas leather treatment centre. “We were inspired to shift into designing and manufacturing with the wellbeing of animals and people in mind,” she explains. “In 2012, we started Unreal Fur and have emerged over time as a worldwide cruelty-free fashion brand, with faux fur being the focus and with the mission to prove faux fur is better than real fur.” 

Calling her crusade a ‘fauxvolution’, Shani says it’s all about a new age of consciousness and being educated about the clothes we wear. “It’s so simple,” she explains. “Real fur means a life of pain for another living being. It’s disgusting and needs to be put to a stop on a legal level. But for now, the best way to end the fur trade is to stop buying it.” Here, Shani explains how she launched her label, stuck to her philosophies and gained a cult following in the process.

You only use faux fur – what is it made of and how did you discover this fibre?
“Faux fur is fully synthetic refined yarn knitted in various techniques. As a designer, I have stepped into the knowledge that my choices can make a difference. At the time, faux was a dirty word, no one wanted to wear it. But I searched for the best faux furs at the time and from there took it further to work with the best mills on developing our qualities, designs, colours. Slowly we began to get buyers to believe in faux and we no longer had to meet their demands with real furs. Today we meet all kinds of cruelty-free needs for retailers around the world. One of our recent successes is adding vegan puffer jackets to our latest release.”

Your brand is also listed as vegan – what does this actually mean and what do you have to adhere to in order to use this label?
“Vegan fashion means all the content of the garment has no animal product; no leather, no feathers, fur, suede, nothing. We also visit our suppliers’ factories to ensure that no animal products are being manufactured alongside Unreal Fur garments. This has been a challenge in the past, but I believe that the world is catching onto the trend: fur is out, faux is in.”

There is a lot of discussion in the industry about faux fur’s impact on the environment. What can you tell us about this?
“From an environmental point of view, processing, tanning and dying real fur is a pollutive process with a huge impact on the environment. While faux fur is synthetic, our garments are designed to last and be loved beyond a single season. I always say re-use and re-style, because faux fur never goes out of style. With any garment, your faux furs are worth looking after so that you can enjoy them for next season, and many seasons to come.
One thing that excites all of us about this industry is how technology and culture inevitably shape fashion. Every week we hear new rumors about a mill or machine that can spin, dye, process new fibres made from plants and recycled materials. We’ve been actively researching sustainable ways to make faux fur and it has always been a goal of ours to meet the demand for sustainable materials. I believe we will get there, it’s only a matter of time and technology for us.”

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What’s next for the brand?
“Driving the ‘fauxvolution’ further, baby! It’s been seven years but I think we’re just getting started. I would love to see Australia make more meaningful steps toward a fur-free domestic fashion market. So we will be championing that cause by designing our little hearts out. We’re about to relaunch several new styles for kids and bridal, which have been two hugely successful concepts for the brand [and we launched our] annual autumn/winter collection. We’re looking to become the one-stop-faux-shop so that there is no excuse to buy fur.
We’ve been thriving as an online brand for the last four years and we are continuing to grow internationally and are so excited to see all the political changes being made regarding ethics in fashion. The brand has always been about looking into the future, but the work we are doing today is going to help shape tomorrow’s fashion industry into a more ethical and kinder space for everyone involved.”