When fashion goes feral

Paws, clogs, and claws; never before has fashion loved the animalier look, quite literally. Following in the footsteps of the Tabi designed by Martin Margiela in 1988 - which, however, also looked back to 15th-century Japanese culture - numerous new footwear proposals sent down the catwalk during the latest fashion weeks take inspiration from the somewhat ridiculous shape of animal paws, triggering a real split in thinking among the fans of the sector: on the one hand the followers of new trends, always ready to recognize in a new look its potential, and on the other hand the objectors of anything that tries to challenge conventions, supporters of traditionalism even in a creative field like fashion. Despite the criticism of the latter, there have been so many brands that have brought shoes with a beastly silhouette to the catwalk, however, that it will be almost impossible for the furry-chic aesthetic not to become a trend in its own right - and perhaps it already is. 

JW Anderson 

Let's start with JW Anderson, a brand that usually uses the irony and nostalgic energy of childhood memories to arouse amazement in its shows: in addition to a wide range of clogs in different colors and materials, the designs presented at the fashion show included mules and leather lace-ups that curled up on the toe as if the models wearing them had large feline paws instead of feet. A design that had already been presented in February in a stiletto heel version during Fashion Week FW23, and which had enticed journalists and critics to have fun with all the puns, after Jonathan Anderson himself had included them in the caption of a post unveiling them in advance, "CATWALK show fittings..."   

Charles Jeffrey Loverboy 

Also of similar flair were Charles Jeffrey Loverboy shoes, a peculiar fusion of brogues and ballet flats, embossed with a JW-like technique that made their shape a reference to a dog's limbs, and then maryjane and loafers decorated with sharp silver claws - the nice people would say "a scratchy design." Bordering on the absurd, Charles Jeffrey's show wasn't punk, despite the sharp spikes and English plaid that alternated in every look but harked back to the Carleian era of the 17th century, precisely because England is currently experiencing a renaissance of that era, as the designer explained in an interview before the show. 

Louis Vuitton 

At Louis Vuitton, the bear paws were far tamer than Charles Jeffrey's, soft plush slippers whose soles imitated the imprint of an ursid, also logged and echoed on the palms of a pair of gloves. After all, the title of the collection was LVers, what could be more adorable than a teddy bear? In short, from Milan to Paris it was two weeks of animal transformation; who knows if couture will follow in the same footsteps, literally. Looking back, in fact, Daniel Rosberry had also done the same in his Schiaparelli couture show last January, when he had animal heads on the Parisian runway that, in the American designer's intentions, were meant to pay homage to Dante's The Divine Comedy. A choice that at the time, of course, had not failed to generate controversy.