Ivory mink is in fashion for 2012-2013 . Sheared fur lowers volume and gives a modern look. Fox trim spices up  and a belt adds versatility . Shades of white always blend well in a snow covered landscape.

FUR FASHION TRENDS 2012-2013 MILAN

Here are the 2 first major trends  major fur trends of the Milan Fur Fashion Week 2012

Colours

We saw the spectrum of ultraviolet dominate this years catwalk . Mink , fox , persian lamb and raccoon in
electric , blue and ultraviolet hues.

Mixes

Fur types mixed together or fur and leather or fur and fur .

Fur Coats Store

Enter to Skandinavik Fur 2011-2012 Fur Fashion Store

Mink Fur Fahion

As designer ready-to-wear collections for the spring 2011 season hit the runways, it would seem that fur fashion is most definitely here to stay.

The Autumn/Winter collections of 2010/2011 saw a fur revival like never before and many challenged its staying power outside of cold conditions but as the seasons change, the winning versatility of fur has shone through. Designers have been lining up to showcase their renewed love of fur by expressing fresh and original ways to utilise it in their latest catwalk creations with innovative styles coming in the form of shorts and skirts from high profile designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Georgio Armani and Oscar de la Renta.

Coats took on lively new contours from the high sheen offerings of Rick Owens in his trademark jet black and the more lightweight variations appeared in short, tailored waist and thigh-length vests and jackets in serene neutrals from the ultra chic J. Mendel.

Dennis Basso’s sultry coat stylings ranged from cut out and see-through swing jackets with sumptuous snug collars that accentuate the inner silhouette to capped sleeve capes that captured the playful nature of the a-line 60’s but oozed a contemporary feel. Master fur manipulator Fendi displayed a variety of slinky boleros and accessories were still smoothing out the competition with colourful stoles from Dries Van Noten.

Helen Yarmak’s flirty designs used the attention grabbing bold primary hues of royal blue and canary yellow alongside strong shades of black and white cut in pure rock star mode while Oscar de la Renta brought a vintage feel back with a selection of opulent lines, trims, stoles and jackets. The stark whites, soothing browns and slinky blacks in off the shoulder and wide collar designs wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Hollywood glamour set of the 1950’s.

Prada went all out on their spring collections shown at the end of last year with high colour and bold stripe designs in fox fur stoles. Vibrant shades of pink, blue, teal, green and an eye-catching stark orange (which is set to be one of spring’s signature colours) sit surprisingly comfortable alongside thick black stripes. These striking and instantly recognisable stoles are already a store favourite which has no doubt been helped along by a fun ad campaign, endorsements from famous fans such as renowned designer Marc Jacobs and pop sensation and fur advocate, Rihanna, who is rocking the look in her new music video “S & M".

From celebrity wearers to celebrity designers, The Row is a label fronted by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Already making a stir with the level of fur used in their collections this dynamic twin duo have carved their own niche in the fashion world with their sophisticated and classy sharp tailored pieces that focussed on trims, fur hats and animal prints during New York’s fashion week, with menswear and accessories promised for future lines.

With so much fur still gracing the coming season’s collections, it would seem that as spring approaches and the air heats up, our love of fur most definitely hasn’t cooled.


IFTF is an independent international federation of national fur trade associations and organisations. Iftf is working for conservation welfare and promoting fur fashion. Fur industry is highly regulated and committed to environmental conservation.

Persian Lamb Fur

Persian Lamb is a beautiful fur. It’s warm, rather sturdy and can be sporty or dressy. It comes in different curl patterns, depending on the age of the lamb from which it was taken. So why can’t you find it anymore?

The answer is, you can, if you are willing to pay couture prices to buy the designer goods which incorporate the different types of Persian Lamb. There have been stories of Persian Lamb being a cruel fur because it required the killing of a pregnant ewe in order to get her unborn lamb. That is debatable; however, these stories have made it a less acceptable fur to wear. For those who admire and wish to acquire Persian Lamb, vintage is the way to go.



Persian Lamb is a beautiful fur. It’s warm, rather sturdy and can be sporty or dressy. It comes in different curl patterns, depending on the age of the lamb from which it was taken. But this one is faux, although the collar is white mink.

Persian lamb was very popular from the early 20th century until about the 1970’s, with the popularity waning a bit after that. It was still found trimming suits and coats; however, full Persian Lamb coats were not easily found after that time, hence the value of a vintage Lamb coat.

There are many vintage coats around, usually dating from the middle of the last century. But, there are also many manufacturers who developed fabrics that mimic the genuine article pretty well. Many people are fooled by the faux furs, and even those who sell vintage clothing are often not experts in the field and simply believe what they are told when they buy the garments from estates.

The term “Persian Lamb” can refer to many different types of lamb fur, sometimes called Astrakhan, Karakul or Broadtail. All of these refer to lamb, but at different ages after birth (or even before, taken from stillborn lambs). The type I will address in this article is the curly type, which is taken from the lambs when they are about 10 days old.



Faux Persian Lamb is easy to spot, if you know what you’re looking for. This is another example of a faux fur coat with a mahogany mink collar.

Faux Persian Lamb is notorious for being passed off as real. The very first Persian Lamb piece I ever (mistakenly) bought was faux fur, and I quickly learned how to tell the difference. I have even seen real and faux furs all labeled as genuine fur in a vintage store, simply because so many people just don’t know how to tell which is which. When I told the owner how to test it, she refused to look and said I was wrong, so I most certainly did not buy from her. An on-line seller once told me that Persian Lamb was shorn from the live animal and then sewn in a curl pattern on a fabric backing, so that’s why, although he “found the fabric between the curls, as I said he would, the coat was definitely real Persian Lamb.” I’m afraid he was in denial about how furs are made.

There is a lot of misconception out there, so to find out if the fur is genuine or faux, read on.

If you are buying a fur from a shop, do the following (or if shopping online, ask the seller to do these tests and look for these things):

Look at the fur under a strong light and part the curls with your fingers. If you see a woven black fabric between the curls, it’s faux fur. Real Persian Lamb has a smooth hide, which is covered with the hair, and the curls will be much harder to part. The curl pattern on a faux fur will appear to be too uniform, indicating it to be machine-made, while real fur has a much more random pattern of curls.
Next, beware if a seller claims a lamb coat has absolutely no flaws at all. Persian Lamb will nearly always have a bit of edge wear at the back of the neck, cuffs, pocket edges, front edges and around fasteners. The wear will appear to be ivory-colored hide showing through where the fur has worn off. There will usually be tiny areas where the curls have split from the hide, showing ivory-colored skin in little spots (which can be repaired by dabbing with black leather dye).
Finally, a faux Persian Lamb fur is rather lightweight, while the real thing usually weighs a ton.