In his debut as a fashion designer, figure skater Johnny Weir isn't shying away from the controversy that has followed much of his life in the public spotlight.

The 26-year-old guest designer created several pieces at Adrienne Landau's Fall 2011 show at New York Fashion Week, which featured a unisex collection made almost entirely of genuine fox, rabbit, mink and chinchilla fur pieces.

"I was inspired by my trip to Russia for the New Year. The Moscow furriers were showing blue sapphire and gray in mink, and I fell in love with the color scheme. I wanted something that was creative and modern, but still very wearable," said Weir, adding "Look, those are my leg warmers!" as a model sporting sapphire-tinged gray boot warmers stomped by in what looked like fur tree trunks.

With PETA having already launched a crusade against Weir after the skater used fur in a skating outfit, we wondered aloud why Weir had chosen to put himself back in public scrutiny again, by designing with such a contentious material.

"I'm a firm believer in real fur. I don't believe in fake fur," Weir told StyleList. "Despite having death threats and people wanting me to be hurt because I wear fur, that makes me more aggressive in my choice to wear fur. It's my choice. And I feel like everyone is entitled to that. This is America, after all," added Weir.

Weir's two-tone fur motif was translated into the beauty look of the show, when the skater's personal stylist, Eric Alt, used Hipertine hair color to create an ombré ponytail effect of deep hair color fading into a lighter pop of highlight.

The Pennsylvania native's icy career roots influenced the makeup for the show, which stroked a frosty veil of glimmer on skin and coated lashes in snow that seemingly transported models into a deep Siberian freeze.

With the renewal of his reality show ("Be Good Johnny Weir"), a new book ("Welcome to My World") and a new record out ("Dirty Love"), plus now his christening as a designer, Weir is enjoying a moment.

But word on the street is that the skater known just as much for his flamboyant costume choices -- he once named a feathered and corset-laced swan costume Camille -- as he is for the crisp technique of his triple axel, is contemplating pulling out the sequins and skates for another go at the world of competitive figure skating.

So is it true?

"I watched the National Championships, and it was pretty abysmal. It's missing the star power that Evan (Lysacek) and I brought to men's figure skating in America," Weir said of his greatest rival, who has since taken a winning spin on "Dancing With the Stars."

"I released a book that was very anti-figure-skating establishment, and I didn't write nice things about them. So politically, it would be very difficult for me to come back. But I miss it -- the stress, and the nerves and adrenalin. I'm a born competitor. So if I could be prepared for this season, I will come back. If not, maybe the following season. I do have a few more seasons left before the Olympics in Sochi, which is why I'd come back anyway," revealed Weir.

In a development that seems destined to become a TV movie, similar rumblings in recent days have Lysacek wondering aloud if he would return to attempt a repeat Olympic gold-medal-winning performance himself.

And you thought all the drama was in ladies' figure skating.

But what to wear? Perhaps Weir will pull out a design similiar to the heart-spangled bodysuit he rocked at the last Winter Olympics.