After the presentation of a Loro Piana sweater , today let's approach a French House, still family-run, specialized in working with fur and skins. We will try to convey to you his vision (as well as ours) of the use of this very special material.
The workshops of luxury houses are full of treasures, here leathers of all kinds and colors...
The story of Yves Salomon, a House with atypical know-how
If we start from the beginning, we have to go back to 1910 . Grégory Salomon is a Russian citizen, an opponent of the newly established regime: with his family, he went into exile in Siberia, whose extreme conditions we know about. It was then the place of passage for skin and fur merchants, a trade which quickly fascinated him.
Grégory Salomon, portrayed as a “small, round, jovial, charismatic and visionary” character , arrives in France with the intact desire to work with beautiful furs. After a few years, he made numerous trips by train and dog sled across Russia, in search of the most beautiful skins.
The Nenets, inhabitants of Siberia, use fur a lot, the only defense against extreme conditions.
In the 1940s, he was forced to leave Paris following the occupation , but did so in a surprising way, to say the least. Indeed, he and his family (7 sons, all the same!) manage to climb onto a German wagon to the free zone, from where they will reach the United States.
At the end of the war, and upon his return to France in the 1950s, he lost none of his determination and resumed the fur trade: Houses like that of Christian Dior became interested, from this period, to the subjects proposed by Salomon.
A very old photo of Christian Dior.
In 1965, when the second generation took the helm of the company through Boris Salomon, the House sought to innovate and stand out in a sector that was becoming competitive.
Thanks to their expertise, the workshops manage to develop a dyeing technique, allowing furs to be adorned with bright, pop colors. This foreshadows a tidal wave ready to sweep over the luxury planet...
Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler, Azzedine Alaïa: this army of young designers has come to shake up the old, well-established Maisons with innovative, even revolutionary designs, dazzling colors and a very assertive identity. Many will then turn to Solomon to benefit from his knowledge.
Spray dyeing required a lot of work to perfect.
Under the leadership of Yves Salomon, who took office in 1972, innovation will become a priority. The company will start by having its own clothing line , after having worked for a long time for other brands.
A Research & Development department will subsequently be created , working ever since to develop and experiment with new processes. The results are there, with, among other things, the invention of stretch fur!
This will be followed by several techniques - quite widespread today - for knitting materials, and a lot of work done on lightness, towards a more technical and utilitarian use of fur...
Knitting, cutting and all other operations require great attention to detail and specific equipment!
Over more than a hundred years, the Salomon family has mastered hundreds of different materials, leaving its mark on the luxury sector.
Innovation and high product quality have never prevented the House from offering its creations at a “reasonable” price, compared to those in the sector. A unique vision of fur has been built on several decades of excellent craftsmanship, embodied by the recently created men's line.
The R&D workshop is working on developing new techniques to work with all these materials...
The Yves Salomon vision today
You, readers of BonneGueule, are the illustration of what a demanding male clientele is in terms of quality/price ratios, and we realize this in each comment or email that you send us.
Instead of easy extravagance, you prefer cleverly designed sobriety, comfort, practicality and, of course, the durability of the products is essential to you. The statement of these criteria will seem obvious, but looking around you, it is clear that not all consumers and, in fact, not all brands have integrated them, even in luxury.
Yves Salomon has chosen to address this type of demanding clientele, ensuring quality production accordingly . Total looks in fur are rare, and leave room for a more rational vision of materials for men , congruent with our expectations and what we usually present.
Moreover, men's pieces are only produced in small quantities in France, in contrast to the fast fashion pressure imposing a permanent renewal of collections, and the planned obsolescence of the style. The design of Salomon pieces embodies a desire to offer timeless styles.
Cardboard patterns, first assemblies made in cotton canvas: the design of a piece goes through several rigorous stages, to constantly adjust the garment.
The first idea is to go beyond a dissension-prone use of fur, when it is reduced to a simple external sign of wealth. How ? Simply by trying to use its unique insulating properties intelligently : that’s what we really liked.
For example, waterproof parkas in technical fabrics are lined with rabbit, and have a hood decorated with removable fur, to ensure that the garment is versatile and usable in rainy weather.
Note from Geoffrey: rabbit furs also come from meat breeds like the Orylag, the animals are generally not raised for their fur, but rather their meat.
Being practical and very warm does not prevent these technical parkas from being elegant, with beautiful details!
We also note the presence of fur applied to pieces like cardigans, combining cashmere and mink in a very interesting balance.
If the style remains recognizable, this type of association proves to be subtle and truly highlights the two materials, without falling into ostentatious excess...
The presence of leathers and shearlings is not left out in the men's universe of the brand, as proven by this astonishing coat in laminated leather: this involves gluing the skin to another material in order to give it a shape and/or a different texture.
A shearling lambskin coat also struck us for the unique downy appearance it presents, structured by these lines of applied leather, and giving off that famous contrast of textures that we love.
The texture of the bonded leather and that of the lambskin are superb.
Fur, but in the BonneGueule spirit
The message that we want to convey through the presentation of Maison Salomon is that an "intelligent" use of fur is possible , and above all that there is a huge difference between low-end fur from we don't know where, and high-end fur such as this brand knows how to offer.
Production combines French manufacturing with a selection of materials made from leather factories mainly located in Norway, Canada or the United States.
We have chosen to tell you about this Maison in particular, because it is consistent with the high quality products that we are used to presenting to you, and does not fall into bling bling like Kanye West.
The use of these noble and rare materials as linings, to make the most of their insulating properties; or on a collar and a hood, to combine softness and aesthetics, appeared to be a very interesting compromise.
The kind of look that we will never endorse: Huge disproportionate fur, leather leggings, sneakers and python bag... Kanye is very nice, but for us it's a bling bling crush!
To illustrate this point, and advertently show you what we mean by "intelligent use" of fur, we are going to present to you a piece that is easy to wear every day, extremely comfortable and made to last.
Test of the Yves Salomon down jacket: luxury version in felt, leather and fur
First of all, a few tips for recognizing real fur . To the touch, a real one will undoubtedly be softer, the hairs will slide over your fingers, whereas a synthetic material will be rougher.
As a general rule, the lightness of the material is unequivocal : when blowing on real fur, you will immediately see the hairs move delicately in all directions, whereas synthetic furs appear heavier and cardboardy.
You will also notice that on a real one, the hairs have different lengths : those at the base are shorter, finer and wavy, while on a fake one, they are often of the same consistency and length.
Finally, there remains the needle "test" : pushing a needle into real fur will be difficult, the tip hitting the skin, whereas on a fake one, the fabric at the base should not resist.
But enough prolegomena ( note from Geoffrey: thank you Wiki ), let's get to the heart of the matter!
Despite an original and refined design, the piece remains really easy to wear every day.
Down jackets are pieces that have become basic in the men's wardrobe. Therefore, it was obvious that this quilted jacket was going to be integrated into the collections of different brands... and different ranges!
We are dealing here with a very high-end product, extremely pleasant to wear: despite the thickness of the piece, I never had the unpleasant feeling of being in a tank. The feeling of heat comes quickly when you put on the down jacket, but it is not oppressive thanks to the rabbit hair.
We also appreciated the fact that on this model, the fur appears judiciously, and especially in places where it is relevant.
The down jacket still has a "puffy" appearance, although the silhouette remains quite clean, especially at the shoulders which have a beautiful line. The internal rabbit lining also covers the collar, which is very comfortable.
Our woolen down jacket is therefore made of an anthracite sheet on the outside, made of 60% wool and 40% polyester, but be careful: it is not a coat, and its use is intended for harsher conditions .
The mattress covering is made from a mix of goose feathers and down, with proven insulating properties. But it doesn't stop there: the coat's removable lining is made of rabbit, which provides exceptional comfort and softness.
To further enhance the garment, the shoulders and hood are in black lambskin, and the sleeves and bottom are tightened with elastic ribbing (also black). Essential to keep the heat in and prevent any air from entering.
The ribbing of the sleeve prevents drafts, and also facilitates hand mobility. Note the wool-trimmed pocket, and the small closure allowing you to remove the rabbit lining.
The hood has flaps, and the whole thing is fully lined in rabbit fur raised in Spain, while the edge is trimmed in Finnish marmot.
As soon as you pull down the hood and close the flaps, you feel a cloud of heat settle around your face: by trapping the hot air in its hair, the fur constitutes an extremely pleasant shield against the cold. .
The very fine hairs at the base of the skin constitute a very insulating layer of air.
But that's not the end of the materials, because the down jacket has lambskin applied to the shoulders and all over the outside of the hood. This adds to the luxurious design of the garment.
You will immediately notice the contrast of textures created between the mast of the cloth and the characteristic shine of the leather. Obviously, it has received a light treatment to enable it to tolerate harsh conditions, even if it is not recommended to use this part in rainy weather!
The folded down hood is very surprising with its leather exterior. Note the wool edging hiding the closure allowing you to remove the hood.
In terms of details, we were not disappointed. First at the hood, removable to allow a more dressed look, the closures are hidden by wool edging.
Moreover, no closure or button is visible, except at the hood: we really want a refined play of textures, not “polluted” by shiny metal touches. Elbow pads also made of skin reinforce these areas often stressed by folds.
The evenly sewn elbow patch reinforces the material in a particularly stressed area.
The central closure of the down jacket has a superb stitched leather tab, a detail typically found on very high-end pieces. The zipped pockets are also trimmed with leather, so as to elegantly hide the closure. Note the regularity of the stitching, particularly on the corner of the tab, and the pretty grain of the leather in general.
These kinds of details make up the luxurious character of a garment.
The only regrettable thing is that the origin of the rabbit is not, unlike that of the marmot, specified on the label , just like Made in France ; even if we know that the workshops are actually located in France, and that this does not call into question the quality of the product.
But legislation within the European Union tends to be more restrictive at this level, which also corresponds to growing consumer demand.
In terms of maintenance, overall you have to be vigilant about humidity and temperature. If the fur is really wet, simply let it dry, and never leave it near a heat source, or direct light such as a spotlight.
Maison Salomon offers a summer service, during which they will keep your garment in a refrigerated room. Otherwise, the ideal is to store the piece in a cotton cover!
The cover is perfect for storing, but also transporting certain large items. It is obviously supplied with the product.
This type of piece constitutes an investment, with prices often between €1,500 and €2,000, but which are very far from being crazy given the materials, the details and the care taken in manufacturing.
This has a cost, and we believe that Salomon prices are far from indecent ... Especially when we know, for example, that a waxed cotton coat from Valentino is sold for €2,500, or that Moncler sells more than €1,000 for its plastic down jackets whose production cost is less than €50!
If you would like to find out more, or take a closer look at the work of the House, do not hesitate to go to 245 rue Saint Honoré or to Printemps!
