Instead of faux fur, Ms Paquin's collar is made entirely from roadkill - and she has now set up a business producing everything from collars to coats using mangled mink and squashed foxes.

But her unusual designs don't come cheap, with garments such as stoles costing, on average, £640 ($1,000) each.

Nevertheless, Ms Paquin, who lives near Boston in Massachusetts, says she expects the range to prove popular among ethical fur fans who don't want to see animals killed purely for their pelts.

'I’ve always loved animals and have always worked on a farm,' explains the 39-year-old designer. 

'There’s a lot of roadkill in America - a lot more cars and a lot more animals than many other countries.

'I knew the idea would be popular but I didn’t know when it would take off - they are a real statement piece.'

Every piece made for her company, Petite Mort, is created using animals killed on the road, with most supplied by the Highway Department and Animal Control who are licensed to collect them.

The animals are then skinned, frozen and sent to a taxidermist before the fur is tanned and sewed in a lengthy process that takes up to 20 hours.

Each piece contains a silver badge detailing the type of creature involved in its manufacture, certification that the animal was made from roadkill and information on where it was found. 

Particularly concerned are the anti-fur community with whom the designer initially tried to work before receiving a slew of negative responses.

One particular complaint is that they encourage more fur in society despite being ethically made - unlike the regular variety.

Nevertheless, the majority of responses to the range have been positive, according to Ms Paquin, who adds:

'People are mainly grateful somebody is doing something respectful with animals.'

(dailymail.co.uk)