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Vive la difference! In only a year, the landscape of fur fashions has changed drastically enough to inspire talk of revolution. Casual lifestyles, a younger target consumer, fur wardrobes and, above all, an influx of talented New York ready-to-wear designers forced a change. A giant leap forward. Retailers and manufacturers started to think of fashion first, commodity last. The idea of long black mink coats as "bread-and-butter" basics was ushered out. In its place came outerwear. Fur mixed with fabric became legit.
Names like Robert Danes, Eric Gaskins, Byron Lars, Mary Jane Marcasiano, Nicole Miller, Natori, Zandra Rhodes, Rodney Telford and Yeohlee either worked with fur for the first time or returned to the trade. They demanded furs that drape softly, that skim the body and work with their own collections. Fur manufacturers were challenged to create designs that fit into the existing fashion framework instead of vice versa. Fur must be part of the tone of the day, designers cried, as they refused to bow to what they considered archaic industry conventions dictating proportion and fit. Fashion magazines responded, many of them welcoming fur back into their pages for the first time in years. This will not only show off how great furs have gotten, it will create a new image for fur, and with it, demand.
This year's Folio, Fur Age's third annual edition, showcases what we consider are some of the best examples of fur's new spirit. Among our top 50 photos, you'll find designs by a mix of established names moving forward and fresh faces introducing the rest of us to some new tricks. There are even a few styles by non-professional designers who came our way via the Fur Age Generation X Design Contest. Choosing only 50 shots was more difficult than ever before. Each was "graded" in several categories: fashion content, overall style, photographic quality, and their abilities to provoke and inspire. Even if you don't agree with our selections, I challenge you to take a look at each and every one of them and thoughtfully determine why they make you feel the way you do. Then take that knowledge and work with it. |