Mink, sable, fox . . . does anyone mind

that the real thing is edging back into fashion?

John Davidson holds the coats

as an impassioned debate rages on

The model is anxious - the hairdresser and make-up artist are both nervous. I am standing beside a mini mountain of fur - coats, stoles, wraps, hats. And the photographer is quite categorical: he will not under any circumstances shoot items made from real fur.

''But these little creatures were all very well cared for,'' I taunt. ''They lived in perfectly humane conditions - very comfortable, centrally-heated cages. Plenty of nutritious things to eat and drink.''

''It's obscene.'' Mr Sprio is clearly not reassured. ''There is absolutely no justification for the fashion industry using real fur. If someone really wants to wear something furry, they should wear a fake.''

Fantasy merchants amid the upper echelons of the fashion industry have a very different view. Many seem to believe that the heat has fizzled out of the fur debate. And there is a growing possibility that some feel the time is right for a real fur revival.

Sable collars and fox cuffs have certainly crept back into vogue - sometimes passing unidentified by a generation which has never known the undoubted splendour of real fur. Some designers even dared to include full scale coats of real fur in their collections for the winter season ahead. Some models promptly dropped their high-profile stance against fur. Evidently prepared no longer to go naked rather than wear fur, Naomi Campbell dramatically disassociated herself from the Peta lobby group by appearing in the orgy of precious pelts which passes for a Fendi show.

The war against the fur trade rages on - not so often these days with petrol bombs being tossed through furrier's windows. There are, after all, precious few retail furriers still trading in this country. And there are fewer incidents of fur-flaunters having cans of paint up-ended over their precious coats, if only because the number of women prepared to run the risk of wearing the real thing has never been smaller.

There is a widespread tolerance of leather, suede, and sheepskin fashion garments. Fakes have never been more fabulous. But perhaps the forbidden fruit dimension of real fur explains its appeal to younger designers.

If, however, real fur continues to appear on high fashion runways, I suspect that the near-dormant fur debate will be dramatically rekindled . . . just as it was when I failed to reassure my studio crew that no little animals had been killed to fabricate the glamorous little numbers shown here.