Annabel Tollman, 34, Stylist
“This spotted coat I bought at auction; it’s some kind of big cat from the forties. It’s endangered now. I wouldn’t consider buying a new one, though. And I wouldn’t wear anything with a head or tail. I probably have twenty fur pieces total. Between the maintenance and storage, I’m a slave to it in a way.”
Peter Hayn, 77, Retired Artist
“At my prime, I had about eighteen furs; now I have about twelve left: a fisher, a black llama, a blue iris mink, a coyote, a sable, and a couple of natural minks. I have no explanation as to how I slipped into it, other than that I was temporarily insane: I was sort of addicted to fur. I spent a considerable amount of money over a period of about twenty years. Other people travel. I bought one after another, and now I am stuck with them. Now I can wrap my ailing body in furs.”
Beitressa Mandelbaum, 30, Jewelry-Studio Director
Rosa Raykhelson, 86, Retired
Innessa Mandelbaum, 51, Homemaker
Rosa: “My first was from Minsk, but my husband gave me this one for my 50th anniversary. It’s from a big store in Brighton Beach.”
Innessa: “Your first fur is a rite of passage in our family.”
Beitressa: “My grandma bought this for me. For years I resisted but finally gave in. She used to say no decent man would marry a woman who didn’t own a fur.”
Nova Landaeus, 21, Actress and Dancer
“I find it very hard to dress in a way that makes you feel like you look nice in the winter. Fur is sort of a way to bridge that, but I only wear vintage. I’ve grown up with the idea of reusing resources. Though I don’t condone the killing of animals, I don’t think we should throw away the beautiful furs that already exist. Eventually this coat will keep someone else warm, rather than going into a landfill.”