Evening coat

Todd Oldham

fall/winter 1994–95 · (a) synthetic · Costume Institute

Since the 1970s both the producers and consumers of fur fashions have come under criticism by animal-welfare organizations. Several designers have responded to this antifur initiative by promoting fake fur as an ethical alternative to real fur. At the height of the antifur movement in the 1990s, Todd Oldham, a fervent supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), employed synthetic materials to simulate fur. His famous "polar bear coat" uses acrylic to parody the fur coat's significations of wealth, status, power, luxury, and decadence.

Artist

Todd Oldham

Date

fall/winter 1994–95

Medium

(a) synthetic

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Todd Oldham Studio, 2002