Gianfranco Ferre used Saga mink dyed in a variety of hues to match quilted silk fabric.

Bernard Perris for Jean-Louis Scherrer used both fox and mink in his collection of trims and small pieces.

New dressing techniques for fur make mink and fox pelts not only beautiful but lightweight and comfortable. Fendi, for instance, sent down a number of distinctive, feather-light Saga mink coats dyed in striking variegated stripes from light to deep brown. Nina Ricci used Saga mink with Saga fox trim for the very elegant shapes typical of this French design house.

Innovations in fur working give fox and mink more flexibility than ever before, so designers can use fur for casual as well as evening looks. Karl Lagerfeld chose the very rare blue iris Saga mink, combined with knitwear, to create an elegant sporty look, while leather combined with Saga mink trim was American Byron Lars's contribution to the event.

Other prominent participants included two designers from Japan, Hanae Mori and Hiroko Koshino. Mori used a combination of Saga mink types -- sheared and unsheared, dyed and natural, sometimes with Saga fox trim. Koshino worked Saga mink in a variety of intricate ways that complemented her unique, often extravagant dresses and coats.

The house of Yves Saint Laurent worked with both mink and fox in a variety of outerwear styles that ranged from short casual Saga fox jackets to a more formal full-length wild type Saga mink coat. Another French design house, Louis Feraud, chose mink and fox for its contribution, dyeing furs in complementary colors that ranged from golden brown to rose.

A few of the designers were influenced by their Beijing destination. Lecoanet Hemant from Paris worked Saga mink as a classic Chinese embroidery in gowns and coats, while Han Feng from New York used both Saga mink and fox trims, stoles, hats and vests that reflected her Chinese heritage.

Saga, a marketing company for Scandinavian mink and fox farmers, staged the show in cooperation with leading Chinese fur and textile corporations.