Real luxury? Wearing a piece coming from an idea of mine made by artisans able to interpret a thought and turn it into a piece of art.
“Sailor Moon fur” “Creamy Mami fur” these are the words I googled like a keyboard warrior for years without ever getting any results.
Tired of searching on Google I went to Revilo (link here), I have already spoken of them. Their Ig is revilo.milano. Father and son, real Italian artisans. They’ve got the art of creating beautiful things flowing in their veins. I asked Oliviero and Riccardo to create a fur for me with my two favourite mangas, Sailor Moon Crystal and Creamy Mami (Magic Angel).
They made me the fur of my dreams. Calling it a fur coat is an understatement, it’s a work of art.
Vogue (American Vogue), Susie Lau, Glamour, Elle, Buro24/7, Grazia Arabia and the most important editors and photographers of Street Style loved it, photographed it, shared it. I was even stopped by the police outside of the MaxMara show because they wanted to know where they could buy the Sailor Moon and Creamy Mami fur.
But let’s start from the beginning.
It all started as far back as 2011. If you have been following me since 2011 you will know that I have a passion for anime manga. I was even a cosplay for a brief period at a young age. Not just any cosplay but a Sailor Moon Cosplay. In 2011 I went around the fashion capitals with a denim jacket with Creamy Mami painted on the back.
In 2012 I took part in my first fashion week in Milan with a Japanese dress sent by a Sailor Moon Cosplay friend from Tokyo where the first Sailor Moon shop was opened.
In 2013 I painted a picture with a friend of mine: a giant Creamy Mami face with the stars of Mario Schifano as background. You can find the post on my Ig @samantha.
In 2016 at Saga Furs in Copenhagen I made the crystal of Sailor Moon’s heart with fox fur. I suggest you watch the video where I make the crystal of Sailor Moon‘s heart because it is very fun and in the post, there are also some of my drawings with Sailor Moon Crystal.
In 2017 I drew a collection of forty-five pieces with Sailor Moon Crystal. I made all the models in collaboration with a laboratory in Tuscany; it was an endless job. It’s a pity that my dream of creating the collection of Sailor Moon Crystal furs remained just a dream: because of an economic problem I wasn’t able to go ahead with my idea.
The collection was inspired by Sailor Moon Crystal, Sailor Venus, the moon sceptre, Luna, Milord and many other protagonists of the Japanese cartoon. Leather, python, marine snake, rabbit fur, all matched together with embroidered pink and blue stones.
In 2017 I couldn’t do it but that doesn’t mean that I won’t be able to do it in 2021. Never give up!
At the end of 2019 in December, I went to Oliviero and Riccardo of Revilo who love impossible projects (for them nothing is impossible). Faced with my crazy request to inlay all Sailor Moon and Creamy Mami in December that is the busiest period for fur laboratories, instead of moaning or starting to mutter phrases like: “it can’t be done”, “we are full of work”, “it’s a difficult project”… Oliviero’s eyes lit up, his pupils turned into planets like those of Creamy Mami – he was already lost in the idea of creating the project. While I was speaking (caught up in the emotion and the enthusiasm) he had already gone ahead with his thought, he was there, present listening to me, waiting for me to shoot out all my ideas but his head was already focused on what he would have to do to create the fur coat.
Amazed, I left their laboratory and I went back home asking myself if I would have the fur in time for the fashion week (February)
In the end, it would take less than two months of work.
Making a fur coat like the one you see involves:
- drawing the fur coat on paper – the sketch
- understanding how to position the two mangas (how big and where) in front, behind, on the side…
- drawing the manga and then drawing the geometric inlay with the numbering of the fur skins etc
- making the model in paper and then on canvas
- ordering the optical white mink skins to then have them dyed at the tannery in various colours (many colours, plus tones like the eyes, the shadow, the borders etc)
- wait – I forgot that being inlay specialists they didn’t use normal mink but assorted mink skins with the same height of hair to be able to make a perfect inlay / like a surgical operation
- then they had to nail the skins
- cut the skins
- assemble the skins
- assemble the garment
- at a certain point, they realised that they wanted to add planets and so they took it apart, added to it and reassembled it
- finished everything – fastenings, collars, etc
- perfect the fur coat
It was a never-ending job because even if I got the fur in time the work was not really finished.
The Sailor Moon and Creamy Mami fur is reversible.
Oliviero’s idea was to keep the fur without lining (I love this idea because I believe that an inlay that like this should be appreciated) so that the fur can be worn also from the fur side. So I have two furs because it is reversible.
In fact, at the end of the season, Oliviero came back to finish some details, he wanted to change some things.
Like a real artist, he is never satisfied.
Now, tell me, how much is my fur worth?
Is it worth more than a sable? More than a Fendi?
Of course, it is.
The value of this fur is in the heartfelt craftsmanship, the passion, precision, determination that Oliviero, Riccardo and their team of tailors, assemblers etc put into it.
Long hours of work, all hand-made, in Italy.
This is the real Made in Italy.
Real luxury.
My fur is unique, I am the only one in the world that has this fur, tailor-made with these designs.
Since I got it, I have worn it every day and I am still wearing it every day.
The difference between a fur like this and a commercial fur is colossal.
I wear a commercial fur if it goes well with the outfit I am wearing: it enhances the look I have beneath the fur. Basically the commercial fur is an extra.
The Sailor Moon and Creamy Mami fur coat instead IS the look, it is a total look and I don’t care what I have underneath because if it doesn’t enhance my fur I don’t wear it.
I understand that many of you, my followers that have fur brands or are producers are getting nervous reading the post but I have always been for tailor-made, the shows that I love most are the Haute Couture shows of Paris and I am a woman and I want to feel unique and special and when I wear my fur, made exclusively for me. I really feel that way.
There is nothing better than finding master artisans able to DEVELOP their clients’ thoughts.
Has it ever happened to you to go to the hairdressers in the hope that the hairstylist will understand what you want and go all out to exceed your expectation of the final result and be able to amaze you? It happens only rarely but when it does the hairstylist becomes your best friend.
Too many times has it happened that my friends have told me they have tried to have their fur remodelled, they wanted to transform their grandma’s fur into a bomber with a zip but the laboratory didn’t do the work because they considered it “impossible”.
Zip no, skins no, collar no, bla bla bla…
Dear friends go to Revilo in Milan Via Zuretti 52, Instagram @revilo.milano they are able to read your thoughts and turn your dreams into works of art.
Telephone number 02 28091834
Mail revilo.milano@gmail.com Mail revilo.milano@gmail.com
Let’s get down to business
Where can I buy the Sailor Moon and Creamy Mami fur?
You cannot buy the same one but you can have your dream fur made by Revilo in Milan.
Here is the address Revilo, Milan Via Zuretti 52 Instagram @revilo.milano
Telephone number 02 28091834 Mail revilo.milano@gmail.com
They have a small laboratory behind the Central Station in Milan.
Questions or common thoughts – Does it cost a lot to have a fur made to measure? By Revilo?
It costs as much as buying a new one, it’s better to have one made to measure. For the work they do, they are not expensive, if then you compare them to some luxury brands that write Made in Italy when in reality they produce in China, I can tell you that they are absolutely not expensive.
They are human, they work with passion and love and this makes them unique.
Quality/ price ratio: top
Besides if you love Sailor Moon-like me soon there will be an exhibition on the twenty-five years of Sailor Moon in Turin
