J. Mendel
The Label
Joseph Breitman, a furrier to the Russian aristocracy, founded the small family company for his elite clientele back in 1870. In 1981, the fifth generation Gilles Mendel took on the role as designer and CEO of the brand and began experimenting with ways to use fur as a fabric. Mendel now produces six full ready-to-wear collections each season.
The Look
Gilles Mendel’s design goal has been to show how adaptable and diverse fur can be. He’s not afraid of shearing and slashing sable, mink, and broadtail, and uses the same recutting methods on the Silk chiffon, tweed, and satins that he favors for ready-to-wear.
The Designer
Mendel learned the trade under his father, Jacques, in the family’s Paris salon. In 1982, Gilles moved to New York and opened a J. Mendel outpost at Elizabeth Arden’s Fifth Avenue Salon, and then went on to open six J. Mendel boutiques worldwide.
