Investigating Fur as Mediator of Sustainability

This paper builds on two sub-projects conducted under the framework of a larger research programme called Fur and Sustainability – a Design Perspective. From 2014-16, we (Authors 2016) took part in the programme which was part of a larger partnership agreement between Design School Kolding and raw fur supplier and auction house Kopenhagen Fur (DK). What the paper shows and discusses is the, oftentimes, missed opportunity of acknowledging the potential of design as mediation between production and consumption when seen in the light of the sustainable discourse in relation to dress design. The paper exemplifies this with selected findings from the two sub-projects that engage, respectively, with design processes of designers and furriers, and practices of users of inherited fur garments.