Overview

• Leopard and other animal patterns have surged across clothing, accessories and home décor after years on the fringe.
• Brands including Gucci, Christopher Kane and Alessandro Michele have stripped prints of their sensual and ‘trash’ stereotypes.
• High-profile and everyday wearers alike—from Washington’s First Lady to Berlin clubgoers—have embraced the trend.
• Scholars highlight that animal motifs now carry paradoxical meanings tied to colonial history, modern opulence and vegan ethics.
• Some adopters use leopard patterns as ironic or antispeciesist statements against nonhuman discrimination.