Fur & Fashion

“Whenever a thing is done for the first time, it releases a little demon.”
—Emily Dickinson


Hello world! And welcome to my new blog. Am I nervous? Nah! I have always been up for new things. This is the beginning of a journal that will talk about fashion and about fur, about life-style, designers, catwalks and outstanding pieces. Please excuse me, dear reader, if sometimes it appears quite random but, that’s how life (and my brain) works.

Passionate for narrative, I found that designers and catwalks relish one of the few sincerest pleasures of human kind: the one of being listened to. Silently, all the tales conveyed by a piece or a whole collection whispers a story that everyone is ready to listen to. We all have the freedom to leave the room, to stop looking yet we willingly stay. Nothing and no one can contain as much information about the times, people, beliefs, fears, dreams, pleasures and aesthetics as fashion. It describes and will survive us explaining who we were.

One of the most powerful tools a fashion designer has (if not all creatives) is the material she/he works with. And in gazing to this topic, fur is one of the most provocative. Strange, as it has been our dedicated acquaintance through the centuries. It has been there, initially protecting us from tempestuous and unforgivable settings and later, openhandedly providing us with its beauty. Because of this, it also has become a storyteller in its own right. It talks about history, folklore, cultures, landscapes, the wilderness, family, the spirit and the power of nature. It also evokes beauty, protection, tradition and the promise of sticking with us for a long while and later, turning back to where it came from, innately and naturally embraced by the earth.

I was born in the ambivalent 70’s, when love- making and war- making walked hand in hand and appeared to be equally acceptable. I also learned through these years that fatalism doesn’t exist, as you have freedom of choice. Therefore, good and bad things come as a natural reaction to your actions. We are free but also responsible for our choices.

I proved to be restless since a young age, when I was two years old and my mum asked me not to stick my fingers into a plastic, 70’s (very funky) fan while in motion with a systematic explanation. She shouldn’t have, as when she turned her back I did just that… my brain was under a spell; watching the cyan colour blades and wondering how would it feel to stop them with my little fingers (which I almost lost, by the way). It was also proof that I have never assimilated the word NO very easily.

I grew up through the rebellious 80’s (with my parents listening to The Clash, Talking Heads, Prince and Michael Jackson). And I became an unruly teenager in 1989 and advanced into the 90’s that believed blindly in the lyrics of Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers… Oh! And of course, my beloved Guns and Roses.

Through all these decades I also watch, lived and suffered quite a few trends (from the coolest to the callous) in fashion. I saw them also coming back, sometimes eagerly and sometimes in horror. My work in fashion started because of need (as a design student in desperate demand of money for endless going-outs during the weekends) and ended up being one of my truest and most loyal loves.

I hope that you feel more contented now you know a bit more about who is talking (well, writing) to you. I hope it’s clear who I am:

I am the restless one, the indomitable, the rebellious, the lover of all the beautiful things, the fearless, the inquisitive, the one that believes in choice and in freedom, the fashionista. I am the Fur Guru.

P.S. Follow me next week in my journey to Fashion Week. Next stop, Paris.

The Fur Guru
xx