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.

Lynx Fur

Lynx have short tails and characteristic tufts of black hair on the tip of their ears.They have a ruff under the neck, which has black bars (not very visible), resembling a bow tie. They have large padded paws for walking on snow, and long whiskers on the face.
The large body colour varies from medium brown to gold-ish to beige-white; and occasionally, is marked with dark brown spots, especially on the limbs. All species of lynx also have white fur on their chests, bellies and on the insides of their legs, which are extensions of the chest and belly fur. Also, the lynx's colouring, fur height and paw size varies by its climate range—in the Southwestern United States, the fur and colour are short-haired, dark and the paws are smaller and less padded; as the lynx ranges to its colder northern climates, the fur gets progressively thicker (for warmth), the colour gets lighter (for camouflage) and its paws enlarge and become more padded (for snowy environments). Their paws may become larger than a human hand or foot.
The smallest species are the bobcat and the Canada lynx, while the largest is the Eurasian lynx, however there are considerable variations within species.

Fox Fur Colors

• A variety of fox species live around the world, with the red fox being the most common type. People have caught foxes for their pelts for centuries and used the fur to make clothing like hats and coats. Wild fox come in a few color variations, but foxes bred in captivity can come in nearly any color combination.

Wild Foxes

• Wild foxes come in several main colors, but those main colors can range greatly. The red fox is the most common fox in North America, but foxes that live in the mountains tend to be a light red, while foxes that live in the forest are a darker, richer red. The silver fox is a frequent mutation found in red fox.

  The blue fox lives in the Arctic. This fox is white in the winter and dark gray in the summer.

  The swift, or Kit, fox is found in Texas. It is the smallest type of fox and has pale yellow or gray fur with white, black and brown seen on the points like its ears and the tips of its tail.

Ranch Fox

• Fox ranches raise fox for their pelts. A wide range of colors come from captive fox. Fox ranches use red fox in their breeding programs. The blue fox genes make pearl colors like pearl gold.

  Marble foxes come in two colors like the Arctic Marble, which has black and white fur. The Burgundy Marble has dark red and white fur. Calico fox come from a red or silver fox bred to a marble fox. This results in a fox with red, gray, brown and black colors.

Cross Foxes

• Cross foxes stand out because of a cruciform on their head and neck. These fox are usually red with yellow highlights and a dark cross on their backs. The silver cross has a silver body and dark cruciform

How Mink Furs are Made

Choose a design. Although many fabric stores have patterns for fur coats, these are typically for faux fur, which you buy off a bolt. Even so, you can still design what you want the coat to look like. This will also help you determine how many skins/pelts you will need.

2
Obtain the fur and lining. Find fur that will match your skin tone and what you will wear. Go to a fabric store and buy contrasting material to back the fur. Buy the same amount of lining as you do fur, and make it a similar style. If the fur is thick, you'll want a thicker fabric to back it with. Also buy a thread that will match the fabric.

3
Match the furs. You will need to match the furs so the color, length, texture and shine are the same, so that the coat's color is even throughout. Although dying furs is an option, it's not recommended.

4
Join and sew the pelts. Join the pelts together, match them, trim them to the length you need for the pattern you have designed or chosen. The fur needs to be stretched, shaped and cleaned before you work with it.

5
Sew in the lining and complete the final touches, including any pockets, the hem, buttons, etc. Make sure the coat is hanging the way it should and take it for the cleaner's for a final cleaning.

6
Step out in style. Now that your coat is ready, go ahead and show off. Be proud and confident that you look great--and that you made it yourself.



Read more: How to Make a Fur Coat | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4423320_make-fur-coat.html#ixzz1YOcFW5hb

Skandinavik Fur

FUR COATS

Mink Fur

Fur has been valued for its comfort and beauty by people all over the world. With a rich ceremonial and fashion history, furs have personalities as varied and unique as the countries and cultures that have nurtured them.

Beaver
Semi-aquatic builder of dams and certainly one of Canada's favorite animal icons! Natural beaver has very long, lustrous hair, but sheared beaver is also a favorite with designers who create elaborate, surface effects of varying color and pattern.

Chinchilla
Originally from South America, but now farm-raised in both North and South America and in Europe, chinchilla has always had snob appeal, though it is also quite fragile. It's very silky (in fact no fur is softer) and is mainly grey to slate blue.

Coyote
This wily North American critter has a hardy kind of fur. Dense and durable, it's creamy, tan or grey and often used for men's jackets.

Ermine
The winter phase of the weasel, this silky white fur with telltale black tips, was once the fur of European nobility who swept about with it decorating their capes and trains. Traces of this medieval tradition survive in the ceremonial robes of judges and academics.

Fisher
An unusual wild North American fur, fisher is longhaired, dark and silvery.

Fox
The majority of fox fur sold in North America is farm-raised (often from Scandinavia), and is available in the widest range of natural colors of any fur, apart from mink, including silver, crystal blue, red, grey and white. Running neck and neck with mink in the popularity race, this luxurious fur makes an ideal trim for collars, cuffs, wraps and stoles.

Lamb
Lamb is the chameleon of fur with a host of personalities. The queen of lamb is broadtail: of Russian origin, it is sleek, lightweight, shiny and flat, with a slight wave, like fine moir fabric. Mongolian is an extroverted fur that is both longhaired and curly. Often white, its silky hair is frequently dyed in a kaleidoscope of hues. Mouton pelts are sheared closely for a soft, thick flat fur. Persian lamb is farmed in both Asia and South Africa and pelts are prized for their soft, wavy curls with natural colors of black, brown and grey. Shearling is natural lamb pelts with the leather side sueded or leatherized and worn on the outside, and the curly fur worn as a lining.

Lynx
Wildly furry, lynx has an exaggerated edge to it and is indigenous to both North America and Russia. The whiter the fur, the higher its value.

Marten
A close cousin to Russian sable, American marten has long silky hair and varies from dark brown to golden in color. Baum is softer, silkier and shinier than American and Stone, the finest variety, has a bluish-brown coat and pale underfur.

Mink
Mink has never been knocked off its pedestal as the all-time diva of furs. Soft and lightweight with lustrous guard hair and dense, soft undertur, it is primarily farm-raised. Female pelts are smaller in size and have a softer, silkier feel than the larger male pelts. Mink is available in a wide range of natural and dyed colors and may be sheared for a sporty, casual look. It is a very durable fur despite its luxurious look.

Muskrat
Muskrat is a North American wild fur that is popular for its natural color and can also be dyed rich jewel shades. New Jersey is lighter in weight with contrasting colors while Northern has longer guard hair and heavy, thick underfur and is often worked skin-on skin. Southern is flatter with little underfur and is usually pale in color.

Nutria
Found mainly in Argentina and the Southern USA, it is also farmed in Poland and the Czech Republic. Similar to beaver, it is often sheared for a sporty, more lightweight feel. Because its underfur is very soft and plush and its fur can be dyed in a variety of shades, nutria is a popular fur for linings and trims.

Opossum
Woolly and coarse, opossum is often used for liners and men's coats. The very different American variety has long silvery black-tipped guard hair with thick underfur while the New-Zealand variety has a short, dense plush-like fur in colors ranging from yellow-grey to natural brown.

Click Here To View Skandinavik Fur Wonderful 2011-2012  Fur Collection