Cool for cats

Feline fashion: it’s quite literally the cat’s pyjamas.

This fashion trend is literally the cat’s pyjamas

time spent with a cat is never wasted.” So said early 20th-century French novelist, society icon and cat lover Colette. More than 60 years after her death, the author would surely be pleased to know that we’re all spending more and more of our time with cats – just check out everything from your Instagram feed to your wardrobe for proof.

Thanks to social media, cats too can be celebrities in their own way. Think Grumpy Cat, Maru and Lil Bub (star of her very own documentary, Lil Bub & Friendz). Top cat of all, naturally, has to be Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved Choupette, who boasts two maids and 100 000 Instagram followers. Meanwhile, Riversdale’s Josie and the Pussycats – complete with cat ears – are this year’s TV series girl crush.

This cat obsession is popping up in our wardrobes, too – and it goes beyond a certain sunglass shape. Stella Mccartney, Miu Miu and Dolce & Gabbana have all been feeling feline recently. Zambia, the Bengal owned by Stefano Gabbana, is a regular on prints designed by the brand, and Korky the Cat, from The Dandy comic, is a witty motif on Stella Mccartney’s autumn 2016 collection (see the pics on this page and the next).

Charlotte Olympia’s Kitty flat, meanwhile, is a bestseller for the shoe brand. “I wanted to create my own version of a men’s smoking slipper, as typically worn in the ’40s,” says designer Charlotte Dellal. “The idea was to make something typically masculine and traditional into something more feminine, delicate and a little playful, like a cat.”

It’s not just fashion either. Ever since US President Donald Trump’s “grab them by the pussy” comments were revealed, cats have become the mascot of 2017’s feminist movement. The Women’s Marches in January showed a sea of pink hats that came complete with kitty ears. These are the work of the Pussyhat Project, set up by a group of female friends in response to Donald’s now infamous remarks. Marchers all over the world downloaded knitting

“I wanted to show that you can be a stylish and fashionable cat lady.” – Maria Joudina

instructions on the project’s website (pussyhatproject.com) to make their hat. “I think it’s so delightful, because it’s subversive,” says the project’s co-founder, Krista Suh. Krista estimates around a million hats were worn in January, and there are over 60 000 posts with the #pussyhatproject tag on Instagram.

Maria Joudina founded the cat-themed magazine Puss Puss in 2014. Three years later, and actress Chloë Sevigny, artists Ai Weiwei and Sue Webster, rapper Tyler The Creator and director Sofia Coppola have appeared on its pages. “I wanted to disprove the idea of the crazy cat lady,” says Maria. “To show that you can be a stylish and fashionable cat lady.”