A Luxurious Patent Rabbit Fur Jacket:
featuring an oversized hood with bold satin zippers and a vintage buckle.
This Après Ski Style Jacket is made from custom finished Spanish rabbit fur.
Now, you may not know it, but Spanish rabbit is the finest rabbit fur available. So the origin of these skins is Spain. However, the finishing is not.
Initially, we ordered finished skins from Spain. The finish is the patent effect on the back side of the fur. Rabbit fur usually comes with an unfinished back and must be lined. So, When the backs of the skins are finished the fur can be treated like a shearling or made into a reversible garment.
The original finish we got was not right at all for this project. It came out more like plastic bags than a fine patent finish. And while it was cool in its own way, it was not at all the feeling that we were aiming for.
So, we started again and the next batch of Spanish skins went to Italy to be finished. This second time was the charm and the new skins were perfect. Thankfully, our vendor had decided to keep the original skins and was able to sell them – they were kinda cool, but not at all for my customer.
Each tannery has different capabilities. It was a matter of finding the right one for the job.
Custom Skins take time, and on average they require 6 weeks lead time and have varying up-charges. These charges depend on factors ranging from quantity, machinery requirements ( some finishers can’t crank up their machinery unless certain parameters are met) and more. Projects can get drawn out due to factors beyond our control (Like this one did). When we create a garment with custom skins we can’t commit to a deadline until after the finished skins are approved and in the studio. This is a premium service for clients who have the means. It’s not for everyone.
However, there is such a huge array of leathers available to us at any given time, that we are able to find the perfect skin for most of our clients without going this route.
This finished Patent rabbit fur jacket was exactly what the customer wanted and now we know where to get the skins finished properly. These skins were wonderful to work with, and, well…
Sometimes, something really special is well worth the wait.
When a customer does want a ground-up custom-made piece, it’s great to be able to help them. Especially when dealing with highly specialized items like exotics and this patent rabbit fur jacket. And remember, planning ahead is very important with any Bespoke Garment, but even more so when you are getting custom finished skins.