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(The following is Part II of Fur Age's multi-part editorial coverage of New York's 1996/97 designer collections, which premiered during Fur Fashion Week May 20-22. See next week's issue for Part III.)
Moving forward. That's what most designers who premiered their 1996/97 fur collections during the May 20-22 Fur Fashion Week in New York had in mind, and most accomplished the task, even if they might have hearkened back in time a little bit to do so. Casual sportswear was the most important influence, with skiwear and young, funky styles -- including some unfur-like '70s colors -- infusing nearly every collection. In the other direction, glamour spun its web with stoles and luxury furs like sable and chinchilla, which have become potent merchandising weapons at the retail level but have been retooled in more modern, less cumbersome and stuffy silhouettes.
Marc Jacobs is considered something of a rebel in the fur industry, producing a highly fashionable but sometimes misunderstood collection for the Newmont Group that's exclusive to Maximilian at Bloomingdale's this year. Most outrageous? He sheared sable; he said he likes its light weight but doesn't want it to appear too precious and therefore old-fashioned. His furs were sleek and shiny, using pony skins, sheared mink, summer ermine and mole cut close at the shoulders, high waist and arms for extremely narrow silhouettes. He showed them integrated into a hip, urban sophisticate's wardrobe, and thereby offered instruction on how to wear fur to a new generation of consumers who might otherwise sniff at its luxury image.
This year's Karl Lagerfeld collection for Maximilian at Bloomingdale's was as relaxed and languid as last year's was frenetic. There is no question that Lagerfeld still views fur as an elitist indulgence, but this year he took the fussiness out. Using casual zipper closures -- and sometimes even insets of ribbed tricot knit trim, he offered stunning columnar silhouettes with giant, oversized collars for softness around the face. Black and white embossed shearling, cyber-nylon mixes with sable and chinchilla, and satin-covered down collars on snow-white ermine coats injected cool, futuristic elements.
A brief, 17-piece group by Michael Kors managed to combine a new expression in the medium of fur with a wearability that hopefully will mean salability. Kors is known for his minimalist sportswear, without a difficult fit, and he effortlessly translated this into his first fur collection for Pologeorgis. Tunics, a balmacaan and matching brown broadtail tank top, nylon coats with sheared nutria lining and the simplest of all possible shearling coats were spare and easy, while the finale white sheared mink stormcoat was so narrow and simple it appeared as a streak of white on the runway. It literally caused a few editors to gasp with delighted shock.
Byron Lars was all bright, bouncy energy in his second fur collection for Mohl Fur Co. Considering that his body-sculpting silhouettes are sometimes a challenge for retailers, there was some concern that Lars might water down his presentation this year. But one look at his sky blue "Sno Bunny" peplum jacket, gray persian lamb and knit fitted jacket, brown leather wrap coat, teeny tiny black Dakota T shearling "Moto Cross" jacket and hourglass brown leather jacket with persian lamb trim gave notice that Byron and Mohl won't be trifled with. They did, however, offer easier fitting alternatives, like a Kansas rust shearling poncho coat, and an innovative black jersey poncho with chinchilla-dyed Toscana shearling trim. Byron Lars is still about having fun and flaunting it.
The new nfi collection from Natural Furs International sent out down-to-earth, young fur outerwear as obvious as a varsity jacket. Short, peppy sheared beaver sport pieces, cyber necessities in black slicker or silver laminate lined in rabbit, and a handful of sueded persian city coats presented the some of the season's strongest statements in straightforward, capsule form.
Andre & Lisa Bisang updated their collection for the Tepper Collection this year by shooting it through with more young, sportswear panache, especially with a group of skiwear pieces and some kicky A-line skirted suits. The couple have a gift for color and texture, making some of the best marriages of the week between fur and fabric. Whether mixing lime green knitted mohair with golden sable, olive green melange cashgora with cinnamon mink poiret collar and cuffs or stone alpaca with Russian squirrel, they conveyed meltingly delicious softness. Tunnel scarves, which are in essence fabric belts with tufts of fur in the center long enough to wrap around the neck like collars, are an ingeniously practical gimmick. The Bisangs don't short-change their penchant for luxury, though, providing enough sable, fisher, chinchilla and black velvet mink for any formal occasion. A black Russian broadtail reefer coat with black sheared mink collar and trim was a real tour de force combination of impeccable tailoring, modern evening sensibility and stunning drama.
Zuki has always gone his own way, developing his signature intarsia look and this year adding both more sport and -- it seemed like -- a greater selection of luxury furs and simple "Down to Earth" styles (as one group is named), plus some good men's basics. As always, color op-art and mosaic in-laid patterns drive Zuki's creativity. This year's themes ranged from a whimsical retrospective group -- commissioned by and exclusive to Neiman Marcus -- including balloon, carousel, flag, flower, music and paint splatter designs, to cyber-influenced chrome flowing optical illusions. Fitch and bassarisk, "hugs and kisses" and "shoes" designs are exclusive to the fur salons at Saks Fifth Avenue. "Safari" designs and three chinchilla coats are exclusive to Maximilian at Bloomingdale's.
Canadian First Nations' designer D'Arcy Moses is another original, staying true to his conviction of presenting the cultural and environmental themes of Canada's indigenous communities to the world through contemporary fur and ready-to-wear fashions. His furs inset with patterns of Petroglyphs, Mystery of the Forest, Eagle Feathers, the Four Continents and Four Goddesses interpret Earth, Wind, Fire and Water; America, Africa, Europa and Asia; and Native Princess, African Queen, Eve and Asian Empress in a colorful, moody genre.
Yves Saint Laurent's first collection for Mohl Fur Co. combined European sophistication with American ease in clean shapes. Wrap and bathrobe coats made things simple, whether in natural cat lynx, wild type mink, Canadian fisher or gold leopard-print fabric with removable nutria lining.
Zandra Rhodes's second collection for Pologeorgis was toned down a bit in a way that retailers attending the shows viewed as more approachable. Rhodes was less Byzantine with her colorful stencils on suede-back mink and persian lamb, but still offered Tulip, Swirl, Safari and Renaissance Swirl prints and lots of feminine ruffles of fur for the signature Zandra Rhodes customer. Her sleek, narrower shapes worked better in this year's clean-is-right fashion dictate, and even held up under bright, multicolor tie-dyed patterns.
Louis Feraud's collection for Natural Furs International was as delicate and Parisian as a French pastry. From the introductory dyed sheared mink coat with fox trim and matching distinguished hat in opera cape red to a series of gemstone-shaded, shadow sheared beaver, and swirling directional minks in misty "Cafe Prague" colors, this was a sweet confectioner's tale. Chinchilla and black duchess satin combinations made for powerhouse formalwear.
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