Look at these stunning over-the-knee boots made of patchwork fur by the always sexy and repellent Tom Ford.
“Purple tone-on-tone dyed astrakhan (Afghan origin) and dyed calf hair (New Zealand origin.)” Here’s a close up:
If you’re wondering what astrakhan is, designer Dennis Basso says you’re not.
“Women who want something beautiful are only interested in the final product,” he said. “She’s buying fashion. She’s not going into Prada and asking, ‘Where did this come from?’ It’s like when somebody goes and buys a diamond. They’re not asking what mine it came from either.”
But I’ll tell you anyway. Most astrakhan lambs, according to the fur industry, are killed within days or weeks of their birth because as they age, the quality of their wool quickly changes from tightly curled rows to a more coarse and wiry pelt. Oh well, too bad for those lambs, they should be honored to serve Tom Ford’s vision.
I wish Neiman Marcus offered styling advice like Net-a-Porter does, but you’ll have to wing it on your own.
As humans we accept so much without question. It’s terrifying.
I’ve never been a fan of astrakhan and that’s without being aware of its origins. Sounds about as pleasant as veal production.
I remember my wife having a deep love for astrakhan coats when we were about 20yrs old; they were always vintage and I’d never let her ‘go there.’ I detest the stuff. It looks like a yeti’s pubic hair (the curls look quite loose on these boots, perhaps Tom let the lambs live a little longer than normal.)
Love your perfect description…”the always sexy and repellent Tom Ford.” Haha!
Tom Ford is thoroughly repellent, I couldn’t agree more, and the boots are vulgar in just about every way I can think of.
Horrifying! Another name for astrakhan is Persian lamb. I think if they called it newborn or fetal lamb fur there wouldn’t be a market for it.
I had a little coat like this when I was a kid, and then it was called “unborn lamb” — how is that for a skeevy concept? It’s true, too.
Those boots would be hideous no matter what they were made of.
Tom Ford and Dennis Basso are coming back as lambs in the next life/parallel universe. But like I always say, education, money, culture, style, etc, does not make one enlightened or compassionate. I don’t know what does, but it’s not necessarily the above. Poor lambs . . . I hope they come back as giant itchy, painful hemorrhoids in the asses of Ford and Basso.
I must admit to owning an astrakhan coat many, many years ago. My mother bought it for me and I loved it. It was very warm.
I had lots of fur coats in those days and I loved them all because I lived in Melbourne which is very cold and the fur coats kept me warm.
I just hate being cold.
So I moved to Cairns which is much warmer and I gave away all the fur coats.
Nevertheless, if I was ever silly enough to move back to Melbourne (which I am not) I would want a fur coat to keep me warm again.
I have a vintage shop, and we sell fur. I dont suffer the fur guilt, becuase I live in a cold weather state, and fur is warm. Also, most of the coats are older than i am.
Truly sinful are the new Persian lamb coats. There was one in a magazine for over$ 27,000.00
More than the cost of a small car.
Ugh.
sisty – Yes, their ugliness trumps everything.
Andra and Kellie – I’m not guilty about fut either although my only fur thing is vintage. I don’t like misleading terms for fur, and I would in fact like to know where a diamond was mined if anyone would care to give me one!
Suspended – I hate “Persian” lamb too. My grandma had an ugly black coat that I hated. But I loved her beaver coat so much that I would shut myself up in the closet just to feel it.
I’m afraid the good humans who push whales back in the sea can never compensate for the vulgar members of our species who would make or wear these. Perhaps a little movie of a day old lamb being killed and skinned (hopefully in that order) should be compulsory viewing for anyone considering purchasing these ugly boots
I think if nobody cared where their diamond came from, Google would not have 1,780,000 results for “fair trade diamonds”
Why the fuck would you cut up a bunch of lambs just to make boots that look like fake fur anyway
Just so sad when I hear stuff like this. Imagine a world where man wasn’t the one in charge, where animals ran the slaughterhouses and women were impregnated & dismembered for the skin of their unborn fetuses. The cruelty and barbarism is inconceivable….Yet it happens hundreds of millions of times a day.
Tom ford probably bathes in lambs blood…
Ahhh, Sister, I had no idea there was a difference.
I always imagined a beaver to have very coarse fur. Years ago I bought a little purple hat from a Versace outlet. It was the softest thing I’d ever felt. Turns out it was beaver. It’s the funniest style, eskimo meets elf, very Icelandic, not very Versace, never been worn. Occasionally I come across it at the back of the wardrobe and stop for some sensory appreciation. I can only imagine the joy of a full coat!
And now I remember that I once had a pair of boots that were lined with beaver fur. Divine!
Mmm hope you get lamb cutlets to go with them xx