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Scarlet Bailey-Tait
Family-run Parisian brand Yves Salomon has launched its latest collections with a focus on chic style, versatility and innovation, creating the perfect coats for this winter.
The history of Yves Salomon has peculiar resonance today as it can be traced all the way back to the 1910s when Grégory Salomon, a Russian dissident, went into exile in Siberia. Having discovered and developed a passion for the fur trade there, he created his own business before emigrating to Paris in 1920, where he established himself as a go-to furrier.
In the 1960s, Grégory’s son, Boris, took over the company’s management, immediately attracting the attention of the Parisian fashion industry with his bold and colourful furs, before entering into partnerships with luxury couture houses Dior and Revillon.
Today, fourth-generation company heir Thomas Salomon has transformed the family business into a renowned go-to outerwear label for the city’s style elite. Under his management, the label launched the Army collection in 2005,a collection drawing inspiration from vintage parkas found at flea markets and reimagining them as modern, sophisticated coats with an urban edge.
With temperature levels dropping and winter approaching, Yves Salomon has taken the opportunity to play creatively with the codes of its Army line: with funky nods to ’90s and Y2K nostalgia and a focus on material quality and unique fur treatments, the collection presents warmer yet lighter pieces than ever before. Forgoing baffle stitches, the maxi parka becomes so light it folds into a bag.
Garments in the collection are incredibly versatile, being waterproof and windproof, and feature a combination of technical fabrics, durable ripstop and a brand new smooth waxed cotton, all paired with timeless cuts and contemporary designs.
Parkas are available in long and short versions, with prominent patch pockets. The coats are reversible and you can remove the sleeves, hoods and collars, making them adaptable to any occasion and weather front. Both parkas and coats come in a range of colours with an Earth-inspired palette: black, white, sand and green. However, there are also electric tones: bright blue, orange, yellow and pink. Army seems to have something for most tastes, and caters to both men and women. Each piece is made with exceptional care, using a selection of luxury materials and constructed with precision.
Style aside, ecological and social sustainability is a core value for the brand. In order to combat the need for any new fur production, it re-uses existing furs in its production, recycling or upcycling where it can. This falls under a new 8-point Resource Pact made in 2020, relating to all pieces that include fur. In the list of company commitments, Yves Salomon also outlines its dedication to ensuring that any fur production required for its products complies with the most stringent social and environmental regulations, with a focus on traceability. It has pledged to strengthen its work with local communities for whom fur represents a vital source of income, as well as contribute to the protection of endangered species. In departing from traditional fur treatment, the brand demonstrates unique expertise resulting from decades of working with the most varied furs, from badger, ondatra and marmot, to mink, lynx, fox, sable and chinchilla. Through time, the pelts have been treated and worked on, often becoming as lightweight as fabric.
The label also offers fur alternatives with the Meteo autumn/winter line. Here, coats are mostly made from 100 per cents hearling and woven lambswool to provide a natural appearance and an incredibly soft feel. There are various styles, from hooded bomber jackets to classic midi-coats, in natural tones – dune, terracotta and clay, with contrasting bursts of fuchsia and leopard print. The designs are inspired by the outdoors and yet have both an urban and bohemian edge.
Both respectful of history and engaging with the ever-changing world, Yves Salomon’s new collections provide a variety of outerwear garments this winter to keep you warm and looking effortlessly cool at the same time.
20 Conduit Street, Mayfair W1S 2XW; yves-salomon.co.uk