AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara
Japanese designer Chie Imai introduced what she calls "ecological fur" to the fashion world in Tokyo on April 15. The fur is a blend of polyester made with chinchilla and mink.( Animal rights activists insist that the term "ecological" is just a ploy to distract from the cruelty of the fur industry.)
The garments range in price from $12,000 for a mink bolero to $83,000 for a chinchilla cape. Imai says fur is ecological because it can be worn for generations and "returns to the earth" as organic material (thus causing no pollution).
