In a trade whose companies often point to decades and even centuries of history, the house of de Carlis in Rome is a relative upstart. It launched its fur workshop just 25 years ago, but already it is conquering the world with fashions that are down-to-earth, feminine and uninhibited.

Its ascent to the status of global trademark has taken place remarkably fast, given that it became a member of the Italian Chamber of Fashion in 1985 and first began presenting its collections on the catwalks in 1986. Its international debut quickly followed: it has taken part in the Frankfurt Emba shows since 1983; then came the Sojuzpushnina shows in Frankfurt, Italia in Pelliccia during the 1989 Milan ready-to-wear shows and, in the last four years, the Majestic Ultra shows.

Committed to using precious materials, fine craftsmanship and the research and development of production techniques, de Carlis expanded its studio and workshop in the late '80s to add offices for international distribution of the fur collection, plus a boutique for its line of cashmere clothing. Recent years have seen the establishment of de Carlis Diffusione Alta Moda, which is becoming increasingly active abroad. It was presented in Moscow in 1990, Barcelona in 1991, then in Montreal, Tokyo and Madrid, often in conjunction with Italian Foreign Trade Institute projects.

De Carlis now has a presence with its fur and cashmere collections in Japan, the U.S., Germany, Spain, Switzerland and France.

Its 1995/96 fashions marry mink, beaver, ermine, marten, sable and chinchilla with fabrics like Goretex, microfiber and nylon, plus the warmth of alpaca and cashmere. Shapes are simple; collars are large and details -- such as perforations, inlays and directional work -- are complex. Black is back, but younger and not as dramatic as before. Primary colors are striking. By undoing giant zips, a fur becomes a raincoat. Furs are designed to be worn naturally, like a second skin, with no shoulder pads, and they always avoid the exaggerated and extreme.


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