Fendi's 'haute fourrure' closes Paris couture week

(ANSA) - Rome, July 9 - Fendi has closed Paris couture week with a fall-winter 2016 "haute fourrure" show marking the 50th anniversary of its collaboration with designer Karl Lagerfeld.
    Ready-to-wear and custom-order furs are the cornerstone of the Rome-based iconic luxury brand owned by the LVMH group.
    Indeed Lagerfeld once famously stated that "fur is Fendi and Fendi is fur".
    And the location of the show chosen to debut his haute fur collection 'Silver Moon' on Wednesday matched the importance of the event as the Theatre des Champs-Elysees was where Igor Stravinsky in 1913 debuted one of his most famous works, the Rite of Spring ballet, a cornerstone of theatrical history.
    The building decorated to resemble a couture atelier was dominated by a reproduction of Giorgio De Chirico's Piazza d'Italia painting to mark the strong connection between the history of the brand founded in 1925 and its future.
    It also paid homage to the passion for architecture of the designer who has contributed to the house's evolution since the 1960s.
    And the evolution of furs through unique designs and a bold use of colour was evident in a collection summing up the metamorphosis of fur under Lagerfeld's tenure.
    The chinchilla, mink and sable in moonlight tones of black, white, silver with touches of gold and pink - which will retail between 250,000 and 600,000 euros - were works of art.
    They will not be hitting stores but will be offered to select clients for orders during a worldwide tour that will touch Tokyo in July and London in September, among other capitals.
    Many of the furs that went down the catwalk were reversible, with precious embroideries by Parisian laboratories Lemarié and Hurel in an unprecedented collaboration between Italian and French craftsmen.
    The inspiration behind the 36 looks were birds - a black and white sable coat had a neck resembling bird wings which required two weeks of work by 20 people to complete.
    A pink mink coat and a black ermine cape showed what looked like feathers in a virtuoso performance of craftsmanship.
    Architecture provided structure to the collection with geometric silhouettes giving edge to the rarefied creations.
    Fendi's brand of luxury went as far as shaving ermine and mixing it with transparent PVC or embroidering a plumed jacket with a tapestry motif made with mink threads.
    The all-fur extravaganza had sparked fears of protests from anti-fur groups though security kept protesters at bay.
    In spite of campaigns by the anti-fur lobby, the global fur industry in 2014 was estimated to be worth $40 billion, roughly the same as the Wi-Fi market, according to figures released by the International Fur Federation.
    Fashion show exposure reportedly had a major role in fueling fur sales in Europe and America.
    Fur featured in approximately 70% of catwalks by top designers last season, according to the International Fur Trade Federation.