Fendi has closed Paris couture week
with a fall-winter 2016 "haute fourrure" show marking the 50th
anniversary of its collaboration with designer Karl Lagerfeld.
Ready-to-wear and custom-order furs are the cornerstone of
the Rome-based iconic luxury brand owned by the LVMH group.
Indeed Lagerfeld once famously stated that "fur is Fendi
and Fendi is fur".
And the location of the show chosen to debut his haute fur
collection 'Silver Moon' on Wednesday matched the importance of
the event as the Theatre des Champs-Elysees was where Igor
Stravinsky in 1913 debuted one of his most famous works, the
Rite of Spring ballet, a cornerstone of theatrical history.
The building decorated to resemble a couture atelier was
dominated by a reproduction of Giorgio De Chirico's Piazza
d'Italia painting to mark the strong connection between the
history of the brand founded in 1925 and its future.
It also paid homage to the passion for architecture of the
designer who has contributed to the house's evolution since the
1960s.
And the evolution of furs through unique designs and a bold
use of colour was evident in a collection summing up the
metamorphosis of fur under Lagerfeld's tenure.
The chinchilla, mink and sable in moonlight tones of black,
white, silver with touches of gold and pink - which will retail
between 250,000 and 600,000 euros - were works of art.
They will not be hitting stores but will be offered to
select clients for orders during a worldwide tour that will
touch Tokyo in July and London in September, among other
capitals.
Many of the furs that went down the catwalk were
reversible, with precious embroideries by Parisian laboratories
Lemarié and Hurel in an unprecedented collaboration between
Italian and French craftsmen.
The inspiration behind the 36 looks were birds - a black
and white sable coat had a neck resembling bird wings which
required two weeks of work by 20 people to complete.
A pink mink coat and a black ermine cape showed what looked
like feathers in a virtuoso performance of craftsmanship.
Architecture provided structure to the collection with
geometric silhouettes giving edge to the rarefied creations.
Fendi's brand of luxury went as far as shaving ermine and
mixing it with transparent PVC or embroidering a plumed jacket
with a tapestry motif made with mink threads.
The all-fur extravaganza had sparked fears of protests from
anti-fur groups though security kept protesters at bay.
In spite of campaigns by the anti-fur lobby, the global fur
industry in 2014 was estimated to be worth $40 billion, roughly
the same as the Wi-Fi market, according to figures released by
the International Fur Federation.
Fashion show exposure reportedly had a major role in
fueling fur sales in Europe and America.
Fur featured in approximately 70% of catwalks by top
designers last season, according to the International Fur Trade
Federation.
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