exceptional fur coat from Italian born American designer Giorgio di Sant'Angelo, who entered the fashion scene in the late 60s with maximalist, folk centred designs only to reinvent himself a decade later through minimalism and his famous mesh pieces, a few years before his untimely passing. 

this coat is a real work of art, consisting of white mink fur juxtaposed by colourful vinyl bands heavily embroidered and a matching belt. the coat features an incredible, large hood that finishes off in an exaggeratedly long leather tassel. it has a beautiful a-line shape, which looks as great belted as it does left open. it has only one closure, a hook closure at the collar. lined in a pale greyish satin. purchased at now shuttered very high end department store chain Bonwit Teller. 

this special piece can best be dated to the year 1970, early in Sant'Angelo's career, when it appeared in the October 1970 Vogue issue's editorial "The Landfarers" photographed by John Cowan. it appears, for the picture, that the belt was wrapped around the hood, as a trim.

the specifics of the fur are listed in Vogue as Azurene EMBA mink, which, upon further research, refers to a very high quality mink produced by the Mutation Mink Breeders Association, an American group of farmers who specialized in high quality, light coloured minks, which they marketed heavily in Vogue and such. five of the rarer light colours were Arcturus, Morning light, Aeolian, Tourmaline, and finally, ours, 'Azurene', listed as a blue grey, though it has more of a warm rather than cool undertone, possibly acquired with age. these colours were natural, not dyed, and according to EMBA, each represented less that 1% of the world's minks, so very rare.

this is an incredible, extremely rare, garment from early on in a collectible designer's short career, and is a piece of fashion history. 

very good vintage condition, especially considering the age and materials. the fur is still supple as is the vinyl, which has not cracked or flaked. the embroidery is also in excellent shape. the right pocket was lifting one side and was tacked down by hand. there is discoloration in the underarm of the lining.

most likely made in the USA, as both the designer and the fur ranchers were US based. no size marked, fits XS/S/M, though cut narrow in the shoulder. otherwise the measurements are flexible as the design is belted. shown here on US 0 mannequin with 33" bust and 34.75" hips. 

• bust: 36"
• waist: 40" 
• hips: 44"
• shoulder: 16"
• arm: 24"
• length: 50"