French-inspired New York-based Maison Atia creates luxurious faux fur coats using only cruelty-free materials.
Loved by supermodels and celebrities — including Kate Moss, who wore the brand’s classic Catherine Noir Rayé design during New York Fashion Week and Pink, who wore its red Electric Rouge coat at a pre-Grammy gala — Maison Atia’s coats are made just like traditional fur coats would be, only without the fur.
Instead, the brand uses modacrylic to emulate the material in its classic maxi 70s fur overcoats, shearling jackets, and cropped boleros.
“All of our pieces are made as a real fur piece,” co-founder of the brand Gustave Maisonrouge told Vogue. “Our reversible coats are made exactly like an $8,000 shearling would be.”
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Each faux fur has its own authentic French name; instead of mink, Maison Atia’s shearling is made from vegan Minque, faux Mongolian Làmbe is used instead of lamb’s wool, and Leathère replaces real cowhide leather.
Some critics believe that using synthetic faux fur is not sustainable, however, the brand is taking steps to minimize its impact on the environment. “We believe in the ‘Lean Closet’ approach, and encourage our customers to purchase fewer and better quality items, and enjoy them for many years,” Maisonrouge told Eluxe Magazine.
He continued, “We are also working with textile companies that use recycled materials for our collections, and are investigating new sources that use organic cotton to create the artificial fur.”
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Maisonrouge co-founded the brand alongside Chloé Mendel, the daughter of designer Gilles Mendel. It was her fashionista roots, combined with a love of animals, that inspired her to create the cruelty-free brand, she told Vogue.
“I want to embrace my heritage and embrace my family legacy, and I felt that fake fur is the modern version of that,” she explained. She also mentioned that for each coat purchased, a puppy is saved, due to Maison Atia’s ongoing partnership with nonprofit Paws Chicago.
Every coat sale will pay for one puppy or kitten to be transported to a no-kill shelter in Chicago. Mendel — along with partner and Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan — has worked with Paws Chicago for years. “When starting a company, I knew there had to be a charitable component that was true to me,” she said.
