1929 Coat, labeled Lapin courtesy pastperfect2

Rabbit fur is the longhaired fur of a rodent found nearly everywhere in the world. The look and feel of this fur is sleek, flat, and soft, varying from white to black with every permutation in between. Rabbit furs are often dyed or marked to resemble other furs. However in the 1970's the fur was appreciated for its variety of beautiful markings and this appreciation has continued to the present. Names that were often used for this fur are Coney (Archaic) and Lapin (French).

 

Rabbit Stole courtesy bigchief173

Orylag - In 1985, two researchers at NIRA (National Institute for Agronomic Research) set out to develop a new fur that would be both technically ideal and ethically acceptable. For this, they worked on the Rex Rabbit, crossing, selecting and perfecting it until they created a new breed. The introduction of Orylag required 15 years of scientific research and enabled a fur with the attributes of being light, warm, soft, silky, fine (15 microns) and incredibly dense - 8 to 10000 hairs to each square centimeter. It is similar to Chinchilla in appearance and feel and has a natural luminosity with subtle tones that have attracted both furriers and the press.

 

Rabbit Coat with leather trim courtesy blue-eyedcalico

Sealdyed Coney - European Rabbit courtesy alonesolo

 

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Fur Your Information!

The use of Rabbit fur in costume is first recorded in 13th-century literature. Rabbit hair molts, so it is not a high fashion fur.