Three Major Luxury Fur Brands in Paris and Milan: Yves Salomon, Fabio Gavazzi, and Simonetta Ravizza
This post started with a white cashmere glove from Yves Salomon. Initially, I mistook it for the popular sports brand Salomon, but then noticed this was a French label specializing in luxury. I was about to pass on it, but Eddy pointed out it was made from cashmere, so I gave it a try. While the knit was a bit coarse, it felt warmer and thicker than gloves I had previously bought. The color—called CoCo Milk—is a sophisticated shade of white that adds a luxurious feel, and I included photos at the end of this post.
For me, colors like white and beige convey a luxurious aura. The realization dawned on me while watching the first half of Breathe, where Andrew Garfield, playing the polio-stricken protagonist, wore white Bermuda shorts, a brown leather belt, a white tennis shirt, and socks while playing tennis, all in a pristine, almost unattainable white. Besides texture, fabric, and fit, color also plays a crucial role.
This post will introduce Yves Salomon, Fabio Gavazzi, and Simonetta Ravizza. Yves Salomon, based in Paris, is known for its range of furs in unusual colors like pinks and beiges. Milan-based Fabio Gavazzi takes a classic approach with an emphasis on fabric quality and timeless designs, offering only the highest quality sable and chinchilla furs, often without listed prices. And for those interested in high-quality fur bags, Simonetta Ravizza’s collection is noteworthy.
In China, Fabio Gavazzi is mainly found at Lane Crawford, Yves Salomon at SKP, and Simonetta Ravizza at Galeries Lafayette and SKP Select. Their flagship stores are primarily located in Paris and Milan.
Yves Salomon
Between 1910 and the 1920s, Gregory Salomon, a political dissident exiled to Siberia, started a fur business there before eventually moving to France.
This era of Russian dissidents exiled to Siberia has inspired works about the resilience of human spirit in the face of isolation, like my favorite Russian novel The Doctor of Geneva, Joseph Conrad’s family story, and Nikita Mikhalkov’s The Barber of Siberia. As people often reflect, the more isolated someone becomes, the more they see beyond daily life, reaching truths deeper than water or air.
Returning to Yves Salomon, the third generation of the family, Yves, took over the business in the 1980s, expanding by partnering with famous designers such as Thierry Mugler, YSL, Prada, LV, Nina Ricci, and others. This led to the establishment of Yves Salomon’s namesake brand.
Most popular in their collection are shearling jackets and Toscana lambskin coats, priced between €2000 and €4000, where fabric and design are at their most stylish and versatile.
There are also items made with Merino wool or cashmere, sometimes trimmed with fox, rabbit, or wolf fur, priced similarly. However, their mink jackets start at around €9000, a different tier altogether.
Yves Salomon’s popular outerwear includes down jackets and parkas, where fur is usually limited to the hood.
They also offer hats, earmuffs, and gloves, though the material quality here tends to be less luxurious than in their outerwear, often incorporating technical fabrics like polyester. My white cashmere gloves, for instance, contain less than 10% cashmere.
They even offer shoes, dresses, T-shirts, and tops. However, unless you find these items on sale, I would recommend focusing on their core pieces—like shearling, lambskin, and mink. This brand does not seem to offer sable, unlike Fabio Gavazzi, which also carries chinchilla pieces.
Fabio Gavazzi
A family-owned brand spanning four generations, Fabio Gavazzi has a 100-year history. However, unlike Yves Salomon, Fabio Gavazzi keeps a low profile with its pricing and brand image, to the extent that their website doesn’t display prices. The brand even offers bespoke services, and with Yves Salomon’s mink jackets reaching almost €10,000, Fabio Gavazzi’s sable and chinchilla pieces are in the tens of thousands of euros range, making it among the most expensive furs I’ve come across, even surpassing brands like Loro Piana.
Loro Piana, Yves Salomon, Fabio Gavazzi, and Simonetta Ravizza frequently collaborate. For instance, Fabio Gavazzi’s menswear line is entirely made in partnership with Loro Piana, using cashmere for the outer shell and mink or sable fur for the lining, such as in the bomber jacket below.
The sable lining in Fabio Gavazzi coats tends to be longer than mink fibers. Mink, a less costly fur, is often treated to fit specific garment shapes, while sable and chinchilla are generally left untrimmed, showcasing their natural plush texture.
Compared to their mink and shearling options, Fabio Gavazzi’s high-end sable and chinchilla pieces are especially prized for quality. Their fabrics are personally selected, and the cleaning, dyeing, and cutting are all handled in Italy, unlike Yves Salomon, which sources from multiple suppliers and occasionally manufactures in China.
The Fabio Gavazzi brand is highly focused—primarily offering fur coats and jackets, with minimal other categories—and maintains a classic, consistent style over time.
Simonetta Ravizza
Simonetta Ravizza is another Italian fur brand, established in 1990 and rooted in the Ravizza family business Annabella, a famous Italian fur company founded in 1945. Simonetta Ravizza has incorporated the family expertise while bringing it into the modern fashion realm. Due to its heritage, the brand focuses heavily on top-quality materials and has embraced sustainable practices by promoting faux leather options.
In China, you can find Simonetta Ravizza at Galeries Lafayette and SKP Select.
In 2017, they launched the Furrissima Bag, combining fur and leather in an artful, fashionable way. Though it has gained global recognition as an iconic accessory, it remains less known in China, where the brand is primarily known for its fur coats.
For the Furrissima Bag, classic models feature an outer layer of 100% mink fur and a silk lining, with some variations incorporating shearling and synthetic fibers.
The brand offers four main fur tiers:
100% Cashmere Outer with Sable Trim – Starting at €10,000, this coat features a cashmere shell with a sable trim and a lining of 91% acetate and 9% polyamide.
100% Mink Outer with Silk Lining – Priced around €8,000.
100% Fox Fur Outer with Wool Lining – Priced at approximately €4,000.
Shearling Jackets – Known for their practicality and often sold out due to their value-for-money pricing.
Like Yves Salomon, Simonetta Ravizza also offers other items, such as cashmere sweaters and pants (all 100% cashmere, with some items sold out).
They also carry leather shirts, skirts, and pants.
Lastly, their collection includes simpler tops and dresses, albeit less distinguished in fabric and style.
Epilogue
For sable fur bags, check out Simonetta Ravizza. For ultra-luxury chinchilla and sable coats priced over €100,000, Fabio Gavazzi is the go-to. If you’re looking for a more youthful aesthetic with a broader range of colors, Yves Salomon is ideal.
Currently, in China, brand awareness is highest for Yves Salomon > Fabio Gavazzi > Simonetta Ravizza.
Here’s a look at the cashmere gloves I picked up. Winter in Beijing demands gloves, so this was a practical buy.
Comparing the gloves at home, I found that the Yves Salomon pair was thicker, especially around the wrist. In the second picture below, you can see the difference in fiber density.
By: Pamperherself
