Galanos Presents Special, Opulent Furs
In the beginning, it looked and sounded like a quiet social event. Pleasant conversation, fine wines, soothing chamber music. But then the fashion show took over, the excitement level rose, and by evening’s end, seven very special furs, including a $225,000 one-of-a-kind Russian lynx, had been snapped up by eager buyers.
James Galanos, the man behind the furs, could be seen amid the guests as Neiman-Marcus and the Friends of Robinson Gardens aired a portion of his collection recently at the Beverly Hills store.
In the Spotlight
Small, crisp and impeccable in a double-breasted suit, Galanos was in the spotlight until his furs, said to be the most expensive in America, upstaged him.
Amid murmurs of approval and bursts of applause, the 120 pieces--ranging from bolero jackets to entire suits and hooded, floor-length coats--fulfilled their introductory promise: “the furs we dream about, except they’re quite real.”
Working with sable, lynx, raccoon, mink, fox and broadtail, the Los Angeles-based designer has created pieces (manufactured by Peter Dion in New York) that are richer versions of his couture clothes.
And like those garments, John Weiler, Neiman-Marcus’ West Coast fur director says, they are unmistakably Galanos: “They’re not avant-garde. They’re just very special, luxurious and timeless. You know they’re Galanos. They’re understated but opulent.”
The collection, more than 200 pieces in its entirety, is one of the most extensive in America, claims Weiler, who says that only Fendi has a larger one. Prices for furs bearing the Galanos label run from $7,000 for a mink jacket to the six-figure amount attached to the lynx coat.
Russian broadtail, however, is one of the designer’s specialties, and he uses it most strikingly in dyed colors, such as navy blue, for a knee-length suit, and black for a floor-length trumpet skirt and matching jacket.
Almost Like Silk
The broadtail, Weiler adds, “is a fur for someone who isn’t all that interested in fur. It’s almost like silk. It lends itself to intricate shaping.”
Weiler reports that 1986 has been the biggest year the store has ever had for sable--the majority by Galanos.
Like his other furs, they are “very feminine and gracefully shaped,” notes Weiler, who applauds Galanos for being “a perfectionist. He’s the only American designer of note who works with paper and canvas patterns and touches the furs himself.”
