3 Years On: How To Get IKEA Monkey’s Iconic Shearling Look
[Photo: Instagram/dzd_lisa, Coat: Topshop]
For a lot of people the 9th of December doesn’t hold a lot of significance. It’s just other window on an advent calendar. But, cast your mind back to 2012 and you’ll remember IKEA monkey, the ‘stylish but illegal’ icon that set the internet alight.
It was a cold Canadian winters day, when a tiny monkey in a magnificent shearling coat was found wandering around an IKEA carpark. Darwin the macaque became an instant celebrity and spawned a thousand memes.
Of course Darwin didn’t go to IKEA to stock up on KÖTTBULLAR (meatballs) or POÄNG (armchairs that seem to be in every conservatory), he had escaped from his owners car.
According to VICE: “Darwin’s owner, Yasmin Nadhuka, was rumbled for ‘having an illegal exotic pet’.”
His owners were eventually fined and Darwin was taken to the Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary in Ontari where the sanctuary plans to, ‘introduce him to a new ‘family’ of two rescued macaques in January.’
Thankfully there was a happy ending to IKEA monkey’s story and people have learnt that exotic animals are not pets. Lets pour one out for Darwin and all the poor animals being dressed up like people.
Why don’t you commemorate this day, and fight against the freezing winter winds, by taking inspiration from the chicest primate on the planet.
Faux-Shearling coats:
ASOS TALL coat with panel detail, £85
Neon Rose oversized jacket, £70
River Island black collar coat, £100
