Top ten fashion animals

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The fashion world is a veritable menagerie — and we’re not talking about pretty young things rugged up in furs and PETA protesters pelting pies at Anna Wintour. We’re talking about creatures, critters and couture. From the domesticated to the avian, the aquatic to the reptilian, animal-inspired fashions run rife on the runway. In honour of Chopuette, Chanel’s cute new mascot and the latest addition to the Lagerfeld family, here are our top ten fashion animals.
 
1. CATS


From Kaiser Karl’s kitten to this Vogue Italia cat lady editorial to stuffed cats at Vivienne Westwood, there’s a definite fashion-feline fixation. United Bamboo release an annual cat calendar, Grace Coddington’s penned a book about cats, and black cats brought back luck upon Lanvin’s Fall 2009 campaign. And who could forget that ubiquitous Miu Miu cat print from Spring 2010?
 

2. DOGS


They don’t say dogs are man's best friend for nothing. The late Alexander McQueen designated 50,000 pounds towards the care of his three dogs in his will, Proenza Schouler’s Jack and Lazaro have made two limited-edition dog key rings and Marc Jacobs has a tattoo of his pitt bull terrior on his arm (he also has a tattoo of Spongebob Squarepants). The Givenchy Rottweiler motif has just been given a new lease on life in the brand’s pre-fall collection.
 

3. HORSES


But the real star of the Givenchy pre-fall collection is the horse. The equine inspiration is evident in the knee-high riding boots, the jodhpur style pants and the pony hair caps.
 

4. FOXES


Mulberry’s Fall 2011 collection was foxy. Fox face rivets were added to the Bayswater bag and English roses strutted down the runway to a mash-up of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox. Foxes also featured in Opening Ceremony’s collaboration with French taxidermist Dreyolle. The accompanying film shows the clothes in the rustic setting of the shop, juxtaposing the prints with the creatures that inspired them.
 

5. WILD THINGS

Fantastic Mr Fox isn’t the only film to be reinterpreted in the fashion world. Opening Ceremony teamed up with Spike Jones to create a Where The Wild Things Are capsule collection. It’s full of faux fur and fluffy ears. The line even includes Max’s iconic one-piece playsuit, complete with wolf tail.
 
6. DEAD THINGS


Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fall 2008 show was inspired by slaughter houses and hunting. Laden with furs and exotic skins, there were tiger print trench coats, crocodile jackets and leather scarves. This all happened as Michael Jackson's "Thriller" mingled on speakers with the sound of lambs baaing.
 
7. JELLYFISH


Invertebrate references have been seen on runways at both Valentino and Mandy Coon. A ruffled organza dress with a jellyfish-like silhouette was a highlight from Valention’s Spring 2011 show, while Mandy Coon’s Spring 2010 collection featured jellyfish prints, leather tubing, and tendrils of thread hanging off unfinished hems.
 

8. FROGS


For Fall 2009 Jean-Charles de Castelbajac turned to The Muppets for inspiration. Kermit the Frog came in the form of a coat made up of dozens of mini Kermit cuddly toys. Lady Gaga wore the froggy statement piece on a German television interview.
 
9. RABBITS

Rabbits might be considered a pest in Australia, but the Brits love their bunnies. Not least Kate Moss, who woos an oversized furry friend in a video made for Chilean fashion chain Basement .
 
10. 2D ANIMALS

Todd Selby of interior design website fame teamed up with stylist Aya Kanai on a series of illustrations depicting animals wearing high fashion. There’s a penguin in a Balenciaga suit, a pony in a Marc Jacobs pillbox hat and a woolly mammoth in a Louis Vuitton dress.