Schiaparelli's Couture Show Sparks Debate Over Use of Animal Heads

The lion on her outfit, taken directly from the same look Irina Shayk would wear on the runway, was embroidered in hand sculpted foam, wool and silk faux fur, and hand-painted to look as life-like as possible, according to the brand.

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"NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN MAKING THIS LOOK," Schiaparelli noted on its Instagram, perhaps anticipating potential backlash from users who could see these looks as glamorizing poaching or supportive of trophy hunting.

The lion wasn't the only beast on the runway. Supermodels Naomi Campbell and Shalom Harlow's outfits featured a gray wolf and snow leopard, respectively. The trio of animals used to represent lust, pride, and avarice from Dante’s Inferno allegory.

But the reference seemed to be lost on many users, many of whom cited the show's potentially harmful consequences.

"How do you not get it?! Maybe making these looks didn’t harm animals but showing them will definitely have consequences that will. This looks like glorifying and normalising poaching and trophy hunting these great animals," one user wrote.

Fellow supermodel Christie Brinkely also wasn't impressed. "It’s sickening to see the images of these endangered animals in the form of pelts! It looks as though the models picked up the cruel hunters carpet and severed head wrapped them around themselves to be viewed as a stylish thing of beauty," she commented on the brand's Instagram.

Photos via Getty