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Fur Fashion Expert to Share Trends at 56th Int'l Mink Show
Fur fashion expert Keith Kaplan of the Fur Information Council of America will share the latest fur fashion trends, and give expert guidance on choosing the right fur garment, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Saturday, January 11. Short presentations are scheduled for members of the press at 10 a.m., 12 noon, and 2 p.m. The presentations will be held at the 56th International Mink Show held at the Four Points Sheraton Milwaukee Airport Hotel, 4747 South Howell Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53207; (414) 615-8000.
With fur fashions flying off the racks, interest in this year's International Mink Show is stronger than ever. The runways of New York, Paris and Milan are featuring exciting fur fashions for both men and women, light fur-trimmed summer wear, accessories and even shoes! Fur is the "must have" fabric, says Mr. Kaplan, who represents America's fur manufacturers and retailers. These innovative fur fashion trends are generating rising retail fur sales in the U.S.: $1.53 billion in 2001, up from $1 billion in 1991.
"Fashion is driving this growth," says Mr. Kaplan, "with nearly 400 designers now including fur in their couture and ready-to-wear collections versus only 42 a decade ago. Innovations in manufacturing, dying and trimming have enabled designers to incorporate fur as a luxury fabric offering the unique richness and tactile benefits of fur with the same versatility and adaptability of many other fabrics."
This is Mr. Kaplan's first appearance at the International Mink Show, a farmers' convention held annually in Wisconsin, America's Number One mink-producing state.
"Our farmers welcome Keith Kaplan to the International Mink Show. We applaud the success and unbridled creativity of designers, manufacturers and retailers in offering such an amazing range of warm, fun and fabulous fur designs," stated Teresa Platt of Fur Commission USA. FCUSA represents the farmers who help organize the International Mink Show. The Show draws hundreds of farmers from dozens of states and several countries, and features displays of farm equipment and seminars by veterinarians and other experts on animal care and ranch management. American Legend Auctions and North American Fur Auctions, which market pelts worldwide, award prizes to the finest pelts entered in a pelt-judging competition.
Wisconsin is America's leading mink-farming state, producing 672,000 pelts in 2001, or 26% of total American production. Click here for more statistics on fur farming in the United States.
The International Mink Show is organized by a committee of volunteers in association with Fur Commission USA, representing 600 American fur-farming families, state mink breeders' associations, and National Fur Foods, a major supplier to fur farmers.
For further information contact: Teresa Platt, Executive Director, Fur Commission USA, PMB 506, 826 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118-2698 USA, (619) 575-0139, (619) 575-5578/fax, furfarmers@aol.com, www.furcommission.com.
Keith Kaplan, Fur Information Council of America, 8424-A Santa Monica Blvd., #860, West Hollywood, CA 90069; Tel.: (323) 848-7940; Fax: (323) 848-2931; info@fur.org info@fur.org; www.fur.org
To take a cyber-tour of a fur farm, visit Fur Commission USA's Fur on Film at http://www.furcommission.com/video/index.htm