Basking in the runway spotlight at a Tokyo fashion show Monday, next to the ¥5 million Russian sable coat is a cape of lowly polyester sewn with chinchilla that's being billed as "ecological fur."
The cape, bolero and several other items by Japanese designer Chie Imai use real chinchilla and mink from fur farms. But the fabric parts of the clothing use recycled polyester from Japanese plastic and pharmaceutical maker Teijin Ltd.
"We have not compromised quality. And tying ecology with fur is such a fascinating concept," Imai said.