J. Mendel

J. Mendel was founded in 1870's in St. Petersburg and is now under the direction of Gilles Mendel, fifth generation in the family. Since he joined in 1981, the house has grown to become a luxury fashion house renown not only by its fur but its ball-like gowns, present in every red  carpet around the world. 

The fur in J.Mendel is classic and luxurious. They work with the best quality and their finishings are impeccable. Their designs are not deeply innovative, but they represent the best in each of its garment and when something reaches the stores it is after a long process. The craftsmanship and care of each product translate in timeless pieces with a vintage feeling that will transform you in Russian Royalty every time you wear it.

Fendi Pre-fall 2015

With every collection, Fendi's style gets sharper and more unique. Their designer team are one of the greatest in industry and the results are overwhelming. The coat above is described in the website like a "Multicolor zipped mink coat with a delicately elaborate square crystal decoration in pastel hues and contrasting seashell pink collar". Crystal decoration? Absolutely stunning. The amount of work that they must have put into this piece is extraordinary. 

The collection is a continuous showcase of creativeness and beauty. It is funky, contemporary, young, irreverent and extremely luxurious. And that is supposed to be only pre-fall? I cannot wait for the Winter.

The Piece 5: Altuzarra's Resort 2016 Shoes

Thank you, thank you, thank you Altuzarra for letting me talk about you in my blog!

He is one of my favourite ever designers and I know how much effort and passion he and his team put in every single collection. 

The feathers shoes for the Resort collection are so original and so much fun! They will complement very understated looks to give them a much more chic and fashion forward connotation. I really hope they are available in store and we can start seeing them on red carpets! 

Street Style 3 : Rihanna

Since she did this, neon coloured furs are everywhere! Sometimes it takes a star to start a trend and she definitely did it. But she is not a stranger to the world of fur and whether is faux fur or real fur, she has given us a few over the top looks along the years. She is a great example that fur is not boring or old fashioned and that you can really put out a strong funky look with fur. Rihanna definitely loves her fur!

Yves Salomon METEO and ARMY

Yves Salomon has presented its more edgy/young/irreverent/affordable AW15 collection for its line METEO. I think it is adorable and the prices are so good that everybody can have a piece of it. And for all those lucky enough to live in London or be passing by London in the next months they can go and have a look at the range in Harrods, where they have opened a department in their Fashion Lab. 

The collection features Mongol lamb, shearling, raccoon, merinos wool, rabbit, fox and some mink. The looks are very actual with mix of fabrics and furry designs to give a chic and sophisticated look to the winter clothes without the classicism generally associated to fur. 

And if this is not enough, the department is also showcasing the celebrated ARMY range with military inspired parkas full of fur linings and trims. The leopard print on the rabbit is perfect for a great everyday look during winter. 

Fur is definitely back and thanks to Yves Salomon it could be in your wardrobe!

Gucci's kangaroo lined shoes

So Gucci is the protagonist of the controversial campaign of the season. And let me tell you that I am not so sure this was not looked for. Gucci has got all press talking about its kangaroo fur lined shoes and protestors going mental about them. 

I absolutely love them. I think they are fun, different and stylish. I am not that sure if they are for everybody and not only for the price, some people might have to take extra care with their foot hygiene this winter!

Street Style 2: Lady Fur

Lady Fur has actually a human name:  Samantha De Reviziis. This young girl launched in 2012 the blog welovefur.com as a way to channel the passion she has for fur fashion and this took her to collaborate with big names in the industry like Kopenhagen Fur or Saga Fur and fashion brands like Roberto Cavalli. 

I love Samantha's style and respect her so much for her brave approach to wear fur. She is able to combine the classic and luxurious essence of fur with her young and contemporary personality with an always inevitably elegant result, because fur is elegant above everything. 

Loro Piana

Loro Piana mink and baby cashmere vest via loropiana.com

The thing I love the most about Loro Piana is its understated concept and way to approach high luxury. When I think about Loro Piana I do not think in high fashion, but proper luxury. Cherished fabrics and processes are the trademark of Loro Piana, and as a result, cherished luxury products. You just cannot go wrong with Loro Piana. 

The fur is not its core product, but the few appearances in its collections are of high quality materials and designs. It is common to find mink as an insert in its coats or as best, like the picture above. I did not want to put a picture of the product but that drawing as a way of showing what that "cherished product" mean. That drawing comes from its website and it is a great example of how Loro Piana approaches high luxury.

Loro Piana is originally from Trivero (north Italy) and he started his company in 1924 in Quarona after many years working as a merchant for wool. Nowadays Loro Piana is part of LVMH and its products are sold all around the world. Loro Piana is well known in fashion as the forefather of the use of Vicuña fleece, originally from Los Andes. Loro Piana has protected its productions to the extend of creating a nature reserve in 2008 in Peru. 

I do not want to extend myself too much because I could be writing about Loro Piana forever and this is a blog about fur! I encourage and recommend to everybody to visit loropiana.com for more information and to enjoy the passion and respect for its products. 

The Piece 4

As you already know I am a lynx lover. I absolutely adore the way it feels, how light it is and how cool and trendy it looks. And what I love the most is its exclusivity, the fact that they are unique pieces and that it is such a precious and rare material that only a certain number of pelts are auctioned every year for the production of clothing. 

I came across this piece again in Yves Salomon having a look in its department. It is a gorgeous poncho/cape with a hood. The way the pelts have been sewn together offer a beautiful contrast between the white parts and the brown ones. The back is just stunning, with brown cascades falling from your shoulders until de edge of the garment. 

I understand this is not a piece for everybody. It is what I call an statement, a head-turner. Everybody will admire its natural beauty and great presence. If you are a fashion forward person and love to stand out this is for you!

Yves Salomon Kids

 

I could not believe my eyes when I read that Yves Salomon is launching a collection for children. The lookbook is already available in their website and the pieces are absolutely beautiful. 

The collection features pieces like shearling reversible coats, a mini mink cape to die for, leather jackets, parkas with fur trimmings on the hood and baseball jackets in merinos wool. They are fun and practical, so you will not regret investing a little bit more money for your children wardrobe, and they will look stunning while being warm and cosy. 

 

Well done Yves Salomon! 

Street Style 1: Kim Kardashian

Loved by many, disliked by many others, Kim Kardashian does not leave anyone indifferent. Her beauty and style are over the top, but if there is something I respect about her is her defence of being herself, whether people like it or not, and of course, her defence of wearing fur! Along the years she has given us a few great looks with fur, let's have a look at some of them. 

 

 

Super chic! The gloves and hat add drama to the look making it worthy of a Hollywood star.

 

 Leather jackets can be boring... not this one tho!

If you are feeling that your jeans and top are a bit too understated, just grab your furry arm and are ready for a dramatic entrance.

Thanks to fur Kim was able to breath when wearing that hyper tight dress. The perks of wearing oversize coats. 

 Black and white, the perfect evening colours.

 Feeling cosy with her baby. This coat is to die for, perfect for the cold New York winter nights.

 Great choice for her hair at that time, she looks glowing.

These vests are so practical when you want to upgrade a more simple look. Must have! 

 These white fox furs make her dark eyes and her dark hair outstanding.

 Not many dark haired girls can rock a blond look like she did for that short period of time. I am sure she just did it to be able to work out this pale pink fur! She looks sexy. 

 

 Absolutely gorgeous white coat, perfect for any dress and to add light to a night look. Check her Louboutin out, Kim at her best!

And as a bonus, an example of how to take it to the next level, because she is Kim Kardashian for a reason: