Forward in Fur:
The Unrivaled Innovation of Pologeorgis
by Thomas Sweeney
Photographed by Hanna Tveite
For a good many fashion collectors, the addition of a fur is something of a pinnacle—a moment where a luxury item has the rare power to transform an entire outfit from standard issue into unforgettably cinematic. But whether she opts for the sultriness of a ‘60s-era Sophia Loren (jet-black mink) or the chilly understatement of Margot Tenenbaum (honey-blond mink), chances are that, in her pursuit of the perfect piece, she’ll make her way to the New York–based fur designer and manufacturer Pologeorgis, one of the largest in North America. Founded by Stanley Pologeorgis in 1960, the company has historically been known for its unmatched craftsmanship and innovative collaborations with the who’s-who of the fashion world, among them Pierre Balmain, who designed Pologeorgis’s first landmark collection in 1970.
Today, Pologeorgis is run by Stanley’s son Nick and daughter Joan. The former travels the world to source the highest-quality furs at auction; the latter works on the production and design sides, pioneering the company’s sought-after dyeing and hand-sewing techniques in its New York atelier. Since 2014, one of Nick and Joan’s primary endeavors has been Pologeorgis’s in-house line, aimed at the modern customer who expects not only graphic cuts, novel silhouettes, and unexpected colorways, but also sustainability and traceability in what they wear.
For a good many fashion collectors, the addition of a fur is something of a pinnacle—a moment where a luxury item has the rare power to transform an entire outfit from standard issue into unforgettably cinematic.
This fall/winter season, in anticipation of those Arctic blasts coming, The Line presents an edit of Pologeorgis’s take on the contemporary possibilities of fur (at a variety of price points to boot). For instance, blue, black, and white mariner stripes are wavily reimagined, through an intarsia technique, on a collarless rabbit-fur jacket. An Abstract Expressionist–style leopard print appears on a lightweight (and easily packable) goat-fur blouson. And solid colorways, perhaps for the devoted minimalist, glide their way into the picture as well, via a glossy navy shearling-fur jacket with winged sleeves, and a cocoon-shaped lamb-fur coat whose plushness and camel shade recall a Christmas teddy bear.
Full-scale cold-weather luxury makes a star turn in three pieces. They include a palomino-tone mink robe coat with a self-tie belt and silk lining, a shirt-collar jacket in silver-blue mink, and a reversible storm-flap puffer coat with one side in black sheared mink (the warmest number of the edit). Each is hand-produced in Pologeorgis’s fabled New York atelier, and sets the standard of quality and expertise revered by the couture maisons that have called upon the family-owned business for the past half-century.
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Styling Gabrielle Marcecca
Makeup Rei Tajima
Model Othilia Simon at DNA Models
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