New York, NY -- It might be a youngster in the trade, but Fantazia, New York, seems to have found its niche in the market and is running with it. After experiencing a substantial sales increase last year compared to its previous, premiere outing, Fantazia is already taking orders on its third fall collection of fur-trimmed shearlings and is getting an exciting reaction to a first line of leathers.

Last year Fantazia added several new specialty and department stores to its accounts, and decided to launch its Fall '96 offering early this year in order to reach the entire outerwear market. It has expanded into regional markets by exhibiting at several trade shows, and it has added another floor to its New York factory in order to accommodate leather garment production.

""We felt a demand from our customer this year," said Jennifer Georgiades, principal in the company with her husband, Jimmy. "They asked us to do leathers and do different things with shearling, so we've helped them graduate to another level of style, without making the price overwhelming."

As of last week, Georgiades said Fantazia's leather and shearling sales were running about even with one another, and shearling business already has increased over last year, before fur retailers even begin buying for Fall '96. That's partly due to the fact that many stores are making purchases for Spring delivery.

Jennifer and Jimmy Georgiades of Fantazia, New York, consider their third outerwear collection an inspiration of love.

The growth of this better outerwear manufacturer is clearly driven by style and innovation. Georgiades went to Paris last September for inspiration. The result: she ended up ordering a total of 10 different types of Italian skins, including seven leathers and three shearlings. The variety might seem excessive, but Georgiades explains that, as she adds retail customers, she finds that she needs to provide more exclusivity for each one. This is one way to offer distinctly different looks while maintaining a signature Fantazia style. The following items are available:

1) crocodile-print pearlized leathers in black, light brown, blue, red and opaque;

2) corduroy leather, thin and lightweight in tiny pleats;

3) snakeskin-print leather;

4) pearlized leather in gleaming gold, glistening copper or green;

5) basic lightweight Italian leather in shades of green, brown and yellow, plus blueberry and burgundy;

6) patent leather in black and red;

7) deerskin and reindeer, in shades of red, sea blue, black, chocolate brown and light brown, some with napa and some with suede finish;

8) Slinks, a fine, flat form of New Zealand curly lamb for a refined easiness;

9) Artico, a rugged shearling with a specialized process that shades the wool side of the skin (similar to snowtop) and various suede colors available in blue, green and brown shades; and

10) shearling in 10 new colors Ñ Baby Blue, Peppermint, Porto, Nordic (a cobalt blue), Palisander (chocolate brown), Cipria (tan), Champagne, Sahara (cognac), Linen and Sepia Ñ and two carryover colors from last year -- Riviera and Esmeralda (lolipop green).

Then new designer Haralabos Krikis (brother of Thanasis Krikis, who produced the first two Fantazia collections and has now returned to Greece to design ready-to-wear) went to work outlining a master plan of the collection to encompass different attitudes -- luxury, sporty, young, moderate -- and interpret them in the proper skins. For example, the most casual type of skin will be interpreted in casual silhouettes. About six or seven different styles will be available in each type of leather/shearling.

Krikis described his sense of the season as sometimes feminine and refined, always chic but relaxed, comfortable and confident. Early samples have shown a flair for minimalism and clean lines with a slim, body-conscious fit that's free of too-tight tailoring. A variety of lengths are available, but the freshest are short, just below the hips for jackets and mid-calf for a new classic look in the long trench.

In addition, he designed a few spring dresses in leather, plus some men's styles -- to be ready in time for exhibit at the North American Fur & Fashion Exposition in Montreal this May -- and even a special 12-piece children's shearling collection exclusively for Nordstrom.

Fur trims come in finnraccoon, fox, mink, squirrel and shearling fur. Some coats are available fur-lined, and Fantazia is producing several of its shearlings as reversible this year.

Workmanship is a key selling point for Fantazia's collection in '96. It has brought superior European sewing techniques to Seventh Avenue, with a new five-needle machine, shirt-type buttonholes and exceptional tailoring.

Prices vary according to the type of material used in each garment: Artico shearlings will wholesale for "under $795 for mostly short coats"; Slinks, because of their smaller skins, are higher at $795-$1,295; regular shearlings go for $795-$1,400, and leathers wholesale for under $1,000, including those with fur trims.

Fantazia is producing its first catalog this year. It will be distributed to retailers later this month.

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