Fashion: Cowhide instead of leopard print – why the spotted look is popular

Bright blue skies, rocks and dry bushes: the backdrop of the Louis Vuitton show for autumn 2024 transported guests straight to the Wild West. Creative director Pharrell Williams made sure of that when he presented his cowboy-inspired collection in Paris. His models not only wore western boots and richly decorated suede cowls, but also jackets and shirts with cow spot designs. Sometimes they were in brown and white, sometimes abstractly pixelated in gray, orange and green. The models walked confidently through the ranks of the audience, as if they could jump on a horse and gallop into the sunset at any moment.

In the fashion world, numerous brands are currently showing how versatile cowhide can look. At Dior it adorns soft fur jackets, and at Cos, H&M’s sister label, coats with large patterns are now hanging in the stores. The Swiss luxury label Bally, which is naturally close to nature, is also relying on the cow hype this autumn. Although there is no spotted pattern in the collection, the bulbous shape of many dresses and skirts is reminiscent of cowbells. There are even small silver bells dangling from some shoes and bags. As if the streets were lush alpine meadows, fashion fans now stroll around with jingling accessories. The fact that you can hear their bells from afar may now finally herald the end of the “Quiet Luxury” trend.

This is also ensured by influencers who present themselves on Instagram and TikTok with their latest cow styles. Like the Danish blogger Emili Sindlev or the British Agnes Pusztai, who goes by “WhatGigiWears” on Instagram. In several pictures she shows herself in fashion with the large pattern. In one picture she is sitting on the side of the road with a spotted jacket, and she writes, completely unironically: “Animal prints for fall…groundbreaking”, which translated means: “Animal prints for autumn… groundbreaking”.

The fact that the fashion world has fallen into a real mad cow disease is partly due to the hype surrounding animal prints. In the slipstream of leopards, zebras and tigers, cowhide is now also being hyped. Although it is less exotic, fashion critics already see it as the antithesis of the eternally chic and beautiful.

But the trend is not new: the spot pattern appeared in the 1960s, when the hippie movement used it for its own benefit. In the 1980s, the punk scene adapted it and, like the check and leopard pattern, wore it as a rebellion against the establishment. It wasn’t until the turn of the millennium that cowhide made it into mainstream fashion. At that time, designers like Tom Ford, former creative director of Gucci, and Roberto Cavalli brought the rustic pattern onto the catwalk and thus took away any farm-like feeling. Although Cavalli was known for his exotic snake and leopard prints, he had no objection to the farm animal’s fur. During his lifetime he was all too fond of saying: “I copy the dress of an animal because I love copying God. I think God is the most amazing of all designers.”

Afterwards, cow print, as the trend is called in English, also appeared in Hollywood. Actress Jennifer Aniston wore it in the hit series “Friends” and Fran Drescher in “The Nanny”. Even the design world was enthusiastic about the pattern. Designer pieces such as Le Corbusier’s lounger have long been available with a cowhide pattern.

The cowboy wave that is currently sweeping over to us from the USA is also likely to have a major influence on the trend. Inspired by the US elections, many designers and artists are playing with quintessentially American values. So does Beyoncé. With her album “Cowboy Carter” and her hit “Texas hold ’em”, the US singer draws attention to the fact that there were not only white cowboys, but also black ones. For many of their fans, prairie hats and western styles are not just a fashion trend, but also a symbol against racism.

However, how long spot prints will stay in fashion remains to be seen. It certainly won’t be the last animal print to become a trend. It shouldn’t matter to the cowhide: it’s just robust and tough.