After a decade in which only the most stout of heart (or tone-deaf) would risk provoking a faux bloodbath by wearing an authentic fur, the fashion world--and the women who follow it--are in a fuzzy frenzy.
Fur has returned--in giant slashes of cobalt blue and sea-green at Sonia Rykiel, in primly tailored jackets and stoles at Lanvin, in luxurious coats at Dolce & Gabbana, and in rock-star rags at Roberto Cavalli. In pink, yellow, baby blue and white, it's adorning collars, cuffs, hats, handbags, shoes, scarves and sweaters at designer boutiques and mainstream stores such as Bebe and Nordstrom.
It might be reasonable to assume that Los Angeles would be impervious to this trend--that its climate and commitment to informality would inoculate it against dressing and adornment rooted in cold weather and convention. But fur is here now, even in August.
A number of L.A.-based designers are showing furs and hides in their collections, among them Richard Tyler, who is making jackets and trimming collars with it; Magda Berliner, who has shown fur in every permutation; and Sheri Bodell, who recently designed a fur coat for rock star Tommy Lee. Former L.A. designer Rick Owens now makes his home in France after being tapped by venerable Paris furrier Revillon to design a clothing line and revamp its approach to fur.
Bodell, who also designs cocktail and evening dresses and sells to Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Fred Segal, says her fur and glam-rock-flavored jackets are "my favorite thing to do." She works with silver fox, goat shearling and "a lot of rabbit," which makes her jackets, ranging from $400 to $1,000, a relatively affordable way to crash the craze.
Berliner, a native Californian, uses and wears fur year-round. "Most of what I design is pretty seasonless," she explains. "Here fur is not so much about warmth or survival, but really about its decorative aspect. My work is pretty classic, but I think the novelty of it lies in the different textures I use." She is especially partial to Mongolian curly lamb, rabbit and, for her next season, kangaroo--"it's incredibly soft and silky." Her capelets and bolero jackets in Mongolian curly lamb are "really meant for evening to keep your shoulders warm. I wear them when I go to the opera or the movie theater."
Fur's resurgence is in line with Americans' rising awareness of--and lust for--luxury, and this city has never been one to avoid displays of comfort or success.
