In its second year, Saga Furs of Scandinavia's American Designer Initiative (SADI) has doubled its goals for '96. Not only has it encouraged more designers who are new to fur to use it as trim in their ready-to-wear collections, it is promoting the stole as a fashion item by creating a showcase of styles by current and new fur talents. Already it has gained the participation at least 40 designers, who will come up with a total of 70 new fur-trimmed garments and stoles.
So far, with the cooperation of leading American fur manufacturers, dresser Tubari Ltd. and the Fur Information Council of America, Saga has begun to create trims for at least 20 ready-to-wear designers -- the vast majority of whom have never worked with fur before. Since these designers are expected to show their furs during New York's Fall '96 premieres, "Seventh on Sixth promises to boast more fur on its runway this season than has been seen on Seventh Avenue in a great many years," said Steve Gold, Saga's North American representative.
Together the 20 designers will present some 70 fur-trimmed garments, which also will be displayed in Saga's own premiere show during Fur Fashion Week on Thursday, May 23. Alongside them on the catwalks, Saga will make a statement with a group of about 20 stoles by top ready-to-wear designers as well as designers who already produce fur collections.
"This year Saga would like to see every American fur collection boasting a stole," said Gold. Not only he think that fashion is dictating a comeback for the stole this year, he said increased skin prices will also make smaller furs more important. Some of the designers who will be creating stoles include Yeohlee, Eric Gaskins, Han Feng and Byron Lars.
As part of Saga's American Designer Initiative, Saga brings several designers to its Design Center outside of Copenhagen, where they can get a hands-on crash course on the possibilities of fur design. In June and again in December of 1995, Gold brought a total of 12 designers to Denmark; nine of them have decided to work in fur in '96.
Last year, Saga's Designer Initiative introduced more than 20 ready-to-wear designers to fur. Several of them continue to work in the medium, either with licensed fur collections or in their own ready-to-wear collections.
Saga Furs of Scandinavia is the pelt marketing association that promotes Scandinavian mink and fox. Most all of the Designer Initiative garments will be produced in Saga pelts; in the few occasions where wild furs are used, FICA will contribute them. The Fur Fashion Week show will mark the first time in at least 10 years that Scandinavian furs have been showcased on the runways in New York.
