Exotic Upholstery.

[LabelKing]

Monkey fur coat, probably from a Colobus monkey:

 

[Ivan Kipling]

That coat has a Galanos look, to it. One of my cousins owned a monkey fur hat. I think it was from Lily Dache. Dyed greenish black, trimmed in coq feathers.
About Vivre, the current catalogue includes offerings from a number of international names: Naeem Khan, Francisco Costa, Marie Cristophe, Antonio Fusco. There's a page that emphasizes back and navy: 'an instant allusion to YSL.' I've always loved black and navy, together. Perverse and high style.
Here's a cozy hamock, made to order in coyote fur. From Bless, through Vivre.

 

[LabelKing]

James Galanos is still up and at them apparently, but with a line of rather pretentious photographs.

That hammock is a bit too Wilde West for my tastes. Maybe it would work well in Texas.

 

[Ivan Kipling]

There's a mink chair at Vivre, too.

 

[caelte]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

That hammock is a bit too Wilde West for my tastes. Maybe it would work well in Texas.
......or in the Flintstones' back yard.

 

[LabelKing]

One of the redeeming aspects of the Victorians were their morbid obsession with animal products.

 

[Lucky Strike]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

One of the redeeming aspects of the Victorians were their morbid obsession with animal products.
Heh, true. I also like them for their escalating obsession with specialisation - one room, one implement, one set of clothes for every thinkable purpose. Classic example; fish knives.

 

[Kaga]

Originally Posted by Lucky Strike

Heh, true. I also like them for their escalating obsession with specialisation - one room, one implement, one set of clothes for every thinkable purpose. Classic example; fish knives.

If my memory serves me correctly, proper houses did not use fish knives. They simply exist as a pitfall for pretenders to the art of fine dining.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by Lucky Strike

Heh, true. I also like them for their escalating obsession with specialisation - one room, one implement, one set of clothes for every thinkable purpose. Classic example; fish knives.

I've also seen antique silver things for the most odd food items--like apple forks and pomegranate knives.

 

[caelte]

Originally Posted by Kaga

If my memory serves me correctly, proper houses did not use fish knives. They simply exist as a pitfall for pretenders to the art of fine dining.
Are you referring to serving knives? That odd combo of knife and pallette.

 

[Lucky Strike]

Originally Posted by caelte

Are you referring to serving knives? That odd combo of knife and pallette.
No, fish knives (and forks) like this:

These can be beautifully made, often with silver fittings, typically with steel or silver-plate blades, and ivory or MOP handles. They became a sort of class shibboleth in the UK, as Kaga mentioned. Because they're Victorian inventions, older families who bought their silver in, say, the 18th century, wouldn't have them. As such they became a signifier of new money, made in the trades, rather than by (typically) land-ownership. HM QE II still doesn't have them.

 

[dkzzzz]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

I've also seen antique silver things for the most odd food items--like apple forks and pomegranate knives.

It is only polite to arrive at a dinner with your own set of family utensils. I keep mine in a handsome, bespoke case made of owl foreskins.

P.S. I drink my Beaujolais only from ostrich eggs, thoughtfully removing ostrich beforehand.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

It is only polite to arrive at a dinner with your own set of family utensils. I keep mine in a handsome, bespoke case made of owl foreskins. P.S. I drink my Beaujolais only from ostrich eggs, thoughtfully removing ostrich beforehand.
No, I have my own set of gold monogrammed Baccarat wine glasses and sterling cutlery made by Odiot that I bring to restaurants. It's all contained in a lovely '30s Bengal tiger skin case.

 

[RJman]

Just leave the wine basket at home...

 

[Cantabrigian]

You should take a field trip--

Animal Warehouse: Park Builds Horde Of Exotic Treasures
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1190...s_inside_today

Tusks, Skins Are Stockpiled On South African Reserve; Critics Fear Elephant Cull