Pologeorgis Is Revamping Vintage Patterns Through Digitization

by The Daily Front Row
Pologeorgis

No one does fur quite like Pologeorgis. Now in their 60th year of business, the heritage furrier is taking on new challenges and courting new customers around the world. The Daily caught up with the brand’s director of PR, Jenny Roberts, to learn all about the new collection and what’s next for this powerhouse brand.

The Fall 2020 collection is quite sporty. What was the inspiration?
We loved the idea of sporty looks like parkas, sweatshirts, jean jackets, and bombers with luxe touches like fur linings and hoods. It’s all about combining style and function, comfort and ease, to create an effortless look. Our half-zip pullover is made with a nubby shearling that can take you from Silicon Valley to Vail, and our jackets were designed with fabric outer-zip pockets, reminiscent of traditional sporty styles, and finished with leather trims and drawstrings.

Tell us about the playful prints and colors in this collection!
We have reversible styles, with a solid color on one side and a playful, unexpected print on the other. We’ve also developed our own unique prints from scratch. One of our favorites is a custom floral print that we developed based on an antique fabric swatch. It’s vintage-inspired but reimagined in a modern way.

We digitized the print and blew it up so the flowers really pop, then we printed it on a high-tech, weatherproof fabric and used it on a micro-down puffer coat, which gives all the warmth of down without the bulk. We’re also referencing menswear prints and fabrics, and making them more subtle and feminine, with herringbone, plaids, and tweed. And animal prints are always a best seller for us. Leopard goes with everything! This season, we added in a little color to make it less traditional.

 

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There’s also lots of shearling and lambskin.
Shearling is a huge category for us, and such a versatile fabric. It can be smooth, sleek, and shiny, which is great for more fitted silhouettes, or it can be shaggy and fun, for ’70s chubbies with an Almost Famous vibe. The back can be a super soft suede or a glossy Napa leather. You can even weave it like wool, which makes it perfect for cardigans and soft jackets. Our patchwork shearlings are a more affordable option, and our more classic shearling pieces, like our bombers and hooded duffle coats with horn closures.

Any material or tech innovations Pologeorgis is working on?
We always try to make the collection as wearable as possible, so our fabrics are weather- and wind-proof and our fur liners often easily zip in and out. Our new weatherproof shells are made to fit over shearlings, like an overcoat. It’s a reinvention of an old idea, but they’re stylish enough to be worn on their own. For years, one of our top sellers has been a reversible, fur-lined raincoat. Now we have this fully weatherproof little topper made out of lightweight fabric that can be folded down into its own little pouch for easy travel. This is also our first time working with corduroy, which we’ve elevated with fur linings and trims.

What are your best sellers?
Our classic shearling styles always do really well, as do our accessories, including our chunky wool knit beanies, fingerless gloves and mittens, fur-trimmed shawls, and stoles with furry front pockets. Every year, we also bring in new colors for our popular knitted fur pompom hats. This year, we’ve got lots of grays, earthy neutrals, and our ever-popular classics—navy, optic white, and ebony.

 

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This is your eighth year showing at Coterie. Why do you keep coming back?
Coterie is the best place to reconnect with existing customers and meet new clients. The exposure we get at this show is far-reaching, from the best stores in the U.S. to international boutiques in Japan, Korea, and around the globe.

Pologeorgis also has a robust made-to-measure custom business, right?
We actually have one of the largest factories in the industry for producing fur, shearling, and fabric garments by hand, and we’ve been using the same tried-and-tested techniques in our custom creations for decades. Clients can select the type of fur or shearling they want, colors, linings, closures, etc. and our experienced pattern makers will take all their measurements and create the piece of their dreams.

What’s your favorite celebrity fur moment?
Anything Rihanna does is genius. I mean, she can make anything look incredible. I love the pink fox boa she wore with that completely sheer crystal Adam Selman dress at the 2014 CFDA Awards.

What pieces are popular among your celeb clients?
Iris Apfel is one of our favorite clients. She always says more is more and less is boring, so she has no problem taking risks and is up for literally anything in terms of color and furs — from tie-dye Mongolian lambskin to bright red longhair goat.

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