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Vice Blog

SUMMER FUR

I love all kinds of animals--especially the baby ones. But I didn't realize how much I loved wearing dead animals until I started college in upstate New York. You don't fuck around with a Rochester winter. Because most people are used to wearing fur only when it's protecting them from the most brutal elements, it's easy to forget that fur is a year round fabric.

Back like fifteen or so years ago, that famous "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" PETA campaign was fronted by a bunch of the world's biggest super models, only one of whom has stuck to that promise. Naomi Campbell even went on to front a campaign for furrier Dennis Basso. People are a bit more understanding when it comes to fur wearers these days though. In fact, fur has been huge on the Milan catwalks for years now, with big names like Prada showing spring/summer lines with fur in them. There's a big market, made up of many of the newly rich Russians and Chinese, and these people are forcing the labels to do more and more fur to meet demand. It's the opposite of a new craze though--fur brands like Saga have been sponsoring young designers' shows for years, and fur from vintage shops is still fairly cheap, all adding to fur's popularity over the last decade.

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Before looking into year round fur options, I stopped by Xanadu Furs in the NYC fur district (yes, it exists) to ask Gus Xanthoudakis a few basic questions about the industry. Gus has been in the business since 1956, comes personally recommended by fashion aficionados, and is the go to man for fur repairs and commissioned designs.

Vice: You've been involved with this industry for a long time. How do you think the way people wear fur has changed?
Gus: The wear has increased and manufacturing is down. We import more than we produce.

Do you think the US market has changed, specifically?
The US market has changed a little bit due to the animal lovers mostly, but also the economy and the weather. It's warmer, so people can't wear a fur coat as much.

But this year I saw a lot of fur in fashion shows for spring/summer. Do you think it's possible to wear fur year round?
Yes of course, small pieces in the spring and fall--it's very fashionable. It's coming back.

What are your thoughts on fur bikinis?
Well we do a lot of fur brassieres.

What's the craziest piece you've ever made?
A fur Jock Strap.

Jock strap? But no bikinis?
No bikinis yet.

So do you think fur can be worn year round?
That seems to be the popular trend. Even though manufacturing is down we've had a steady retail increase over time.

Thanks Gus.

So back to wearing fur year round--impossible, you say? To wear fur year round you have to think outside of the box. For the timid there's always the dangling fox tail off of a purse or tote bag as referenced by Louis Vuitton, but if you're serious about incorporating it each season, you'll need to be more creative than that.

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How about a fur-lined sandal? Celine produced these beauties for $770. They're a good solution for the "I only want people within two feet of me to notice how absurdly wealthy and vulgar I am" market.

Love the idea of a meat bikini but need something the seagulls won't attack ravenously while you tan on the beach? Channel your inner Raquel Welch circa cave man times with a red fox bikini.

Prefer Ermine? Take a leaf out of Marilyn Monroe's book.

Hate getting out of the pool on a breezy day and running to wrap yourself in towels to stay warm? Why not throw on your fur coat. This feeling is akin to rolling in a bed of satin sheets while being showered with $100 bills. For the true pimps only.

And another thing good about summer and spring fur? You don't need to fret about some asshole throwing red paint all over you--PETA never sees it coming.

OLIVIA HARRIS