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New in Milan
Milan's new fur fair, called "Mifur, the Fur and Leather Exhibition," has signed over 130 exhibitors in about 15,000 square meters of space for its debut Mar. 13-17 at Fiera Milano. "None of the world-renown Italian fur designers will be absent," Mifur announced last week. "Having made all the necessary preparations and obtained all the required permits, Mifur is ready to start work."
Its written statement continued, "There is great support by fur manufacturers who all agree on the opportuneness of having an Italian fur fair...Milan is today one of the most important fashion centers, and Milan is the ideal place to present fur and leather 1996/97 collections. Enthusiasm is shown also by skin dealers, dressers, suppliers of machines, linings, patterns and accessories, who will be able to serve their Italian customers Ñ thousands of craftsmen and retailers -- without the obstacles of long trips and customs."
Mifur will be the site of this year's Majestic Ultra Show.
Swiss Comispel
As previously reported, the 32nd international Comispel has moved from Milan to Lausanne, Switzerland because "that venue turned an inflexibly deaf ear to our repeated requests for modern trade fair facilities compatible with the international importance of our exhibition. In addition, the entire environment of Milan has been steadily worsening, within the more general deterioration and degeneration of our country, afflicted by constant air and railway strikes and endemic economic instability.
"Another reason for this move is the opposition of the Italian Furriers' Association to the participation of foreign exhibitors and the combined representation of the leather apparel and fur industries," it continued, adding that its goal is to "free the show of the constraints and interference of the industry association."
The fair already has caught the attention of animal activists based in Lausanne. A recent notice there protested the Mar. 14-17 fair, held at the Palais de Beaulieu. "Protest Against This Fur Show; Ask for our cards and petitions," it read in part, and was signed "Opposition Committee for the Fur Show in Lausanne: SVPA, LSCV, WWF-VD, Greenpeace-VD, FENA" and listed a Lausanne address.
Furs on the Web
Furriers are taking to selling on the World Wide Web at cyber speed. Last week Fur Online welcomed the following companies to its shopping section: American Legend mink cooperative, Andriana Furs, Holladay Furs, Kaitery Furs, Musi Furs and Gus Goodman Inc. Look for them online soon at www.furs.com.
Fading Fast
Animal rights activists appear to be frustrated that their efforts to destroy the fur trade haven't turned out exactly like they planned. And with that frustration seems to come more militant forms of protests.
People for the ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) last week fumed on its telephone action line about three recent defeats. It asked supporters to write letters to Secretary of State Warren Christopher about the participation of U.S. officials in a recent fur fashion show in China. U.S. Trade Representative Micky Kantor is receiving PETA's furor over his successful fight to postpone the implementation of the European Union wild fur ban. And Ted Turner is targeted because CNN's Style with Elsa Klensch ran a hefty broadcast on fur fashions.
On the same date that the action line message was posted, PeTA also fired off one of its famous press releases on behalf of another activist group, announcing its illegal acts. The Paint Panthers, which have threatened to spraypaint fur stores and fur-wearers' coats in the past, "notified PeTA" (based in Washington, DC) on Dec. 4 that it had attacked three fur stores in the Washington, DC, area: Miller's Furs, both in Washington, DC, and Bethesda, MD; and Rosendorf-Evans.
The caller supposedly said that windows were shattered at all three stores. That was news to the furriers. One reported a broken window, but there was nothing to identify who was responsible for it. Despite PETA's apparent attempts to continue its campaign of intimidation, it had no takers in the news media.
Happy Holidays
The Greater Fur New York Association will hold its annual post-holiday party and membership drive Jan. 25, 5:30-9:30 p.m. The location changes this year to the Cafe 31 on 31st Street.
Nat Berkowitz will be honored as Man of the Year for his untiring contributions to the trade. "He has done so much for this industry in a very quiet way," praised Karen Moss, co-president of Fur New York. "He's truly one of the unsung heroes of the industry. He's a huge asset and very much needs to be honored."
The party will also feature the organization's softball awards ceremony, plus a disc jockey, open bar, hors d'oeuvres and dinner buffet.
Goodwill Ambassadors
Members of the fur trade in New York put together a team of goodwill ambassadors to show their community spirit by entering a walk-a-thon in Central Park to benefit breast cancer. Gina Costanza, Karen Moss and Sally Godt represented the group, whose numbers were cut in half at the last minute due to acts of God: illness or flood. They found financial sponsors for the five-mile walk, called Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. The money went to the American Cancer Society. Moss, co-president of the Greater Fur New York Association, organized the trade's participation.
Walkers wore Fur New York's new t-shirts with the group's current ad slogan: Fur...Some women never fake it. The t-shirts are available for $15 each (or when buying 100 or more, $10) by from Karen Moss at (212) 563-2345.
'96 Fashion Dates
Fur Fashion Week 1996, the U.S. industry's second annual collective showing of designer collection premieres, will be held in New York beginning May 20. The Fur Information Council of America, organizers of the event, will announce a location at a later date.
The inaugural Fur Fashion Week, held this past May, signified the first time that 27 designer fur collections were presented in one central venue as an organized event. The shows resulted in unprecedented fashion media coverage for the fur industry, including a 30-minute fur fashion program that aired for seven days recently on the E! Entertainment cable channel as well as a recent program on Style with Elsa Klensch on CNN.
'96 Mink Show
The annual International Mink Show will be held Jan. 12-13 at Olympia Village family resort, Oconomowoc, WI. It will feature an international pelt show, commercial booths, National Fur Foods ranch management seminar, Friday night cocktail party and Saturday night banquet.