Fur: A vintage feel—but with a modern edge

Coats are a winter mainstay, this season many of them are oversized with full voluminous cuffs. It’s all part of a trend toward architectural cuts in clothing. Fur coats and jackets made the biggest comeback this year. Many of the silhouettes featured flared skirts and wide belts reminiscent of couture favorites from bygone eras. Paring down the silhouette using coarse furs for elegant wear was often associated with Fendi in the past. Fendi is to fur as Ferrari is to cars. Yet given current concerns about animal rights, the brand has moved from the lavish fur coats that were all the rage in the 1980s to a more discreet way of interpreting fur. Fur appeared as inserts in skirts or dresses, or sheared and fashioned into cozy, understated jackets. Long haired furs, such as goat, also appeared on other runways during Milan’s preview showings.

DSquared2

Both the masculine and feminine sides of the DSquared2 label were shouting other for attention. Pencil skirts paired with belted jackets, one with layered, architectural lapels. But for evening, the mood was more speak-easy slinky with silky dresses with an asymmetrical, trailing feather boa hemline or a fur stole.

Many designers featured fur at this season of preview shows, including Roberto Cavalli who used it mainly to trim the hoods of his winter parkas. That was enough to draw the wrath of a small group of animal rights activists who disrupted the show holding up signs in Italian saying, “Your fashion is our death,” until they were forcibly removed.

Prada

Long luxurious mink coats had ample collars and cuffs like the ones Hollywood royalty wore during the 1950s. Coats have extra wide cuffs and are often belted at the waist and flared toward the bottom.