Fendi's 'Haute Fourrure' Show Greeted by Protests

As if iconic designer Karl Lagarfeld didn't have enough on his plate, the German-born couturier decided to add another collection to his already gruelling schedule. The 81-year-old has been creative director of Paris's most famous fashion house, Chanel, for over thirty years, chief designer of his eponymous label since 1984 and is celebrating 50 years at Fendi this season. All in all, Karl designs 17 collections annually and has reached 18 this year with the introduction of the first-ever Fendi Couture catwalk, dubbed 'Haute Fourrure', which was shown in Paris on Wednesday evening.

Fendi's first 'Haute Fourrure' Show by Karl Lagarfeld.

Fendi started off as a fur house in Rome in 1952 before expanding to include ready-to-wear collections and accessories, and has therefore always been known for its extensive use of fur in the collections. As the name implies, 'Haute Fourrure' or 'High Fur', the couture show was expected to involve even more heavily the controversial - yet still rather popular- material. The animal rights activists were ready for action before the show began, crowding the guests as they made their way into the Theatre des Champs-Elysées. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation was one of the main animal defense groups targeting the fur-packed show, with the iconic French actress having been at the forefront of animal campaigns for decades.

Animal rights activists outside the Fendi Couture show in Paris

The foundation’s spokesperson, Christophe Marie, said in a statement to the press: “Fur is not a luxury, it’s an industry of death and suffering. Millions of animals are caged or battery-farmed, then gassed or electrocuted. We are present here today to denounce the horror of this industry, and the indecency of Karl Lagerfeld, who is full of admiration and love for his cat Choupette, but doesn’t remotely care about the animals sacrificed – sometimes skinned alive – for the most futile and vulgar of fashions.” The foundation even tried to contact Mr Lagarfeld himself, asking on Twitter about his beloved cat Choupette and why he ignored other animals' lives so ruthlessly, in their opinion, but the comments obtained no reply. The designer clearly expressed his views on fur in a previous interview with WWD, “I see it like another material: velvet or fur, it’s the same thing. It’s just another technique, it’s something else, as tweed is also something else.”

A woman in a 'skinned' suit during the demonstration outside the Fendi show

As fashion editors and celebrities pushed their way through the angry mob, they were witness to people decked out with red tight suits imitating the skinned and bloodied looking pelts of animals, disparaging placards and shouting activists. The police and show security were quick to evacuate the protestors off the street with some of them detained up to two hours in cells, as was reported by the Brigitte Bardot Foundation.

The collection comprised 36 fur looks with undeniably impressive-looking jackets, coats and stoles made out of the most exotic skins and furs on the planet. One of the most imposing looks was a white fur dress with thigh split revealing an embroidered leather black boot which looked nothing short of a wedding dress fit for a Russian princess.

A catwalk look from the Fendi 'Haute Fourrure' show