THERE’S NOTHING QUITE SO LUXURIOUS AS SLIPPING ON a fur jacket or sliding your fingers into a pair of fur-trimmed gloves. While it wraps you in warmth on a cold winter day, fur is one of the most effortless ways to elevate your look.
Fourth-generation furrier Ben Griffin is redefining the future of fur fashion at Barnes Furs, a 98-year-old legacy business known for its full-service offerings—from the sale of new luxury furs to expert restyling, conditioning and summer cold storage. While the age-old trade remains rooted in tradition and artisanal skill, Griffin emphasizes how technology is transforming the industry. “The evolution of fur has been greatly impacted by technological advancements,” he says. “Today’s fur jackets are worlds apart from the bulky mink coats of the 1980s. That’s like comparing today’s high-definition OLED-TV with a 17-inch cathode-ray tube with just four channels.”
New designers promoted the idea of shearing mink—something that was unheard of just 20 years ago. “Processing fur in this way provides a 40% lighter coat that is softer,” Griffin explains. “While you can still buy a natural mink coat that’s a little heavier—even though they are not as bulky as coats of yesteryear—sheared mink jackets are popular because they have a more modern look. The new application of existing technology has led to a resurgence in fur interest.”
Modern fur is very wearable in the temperate Georgia winters. Shearing provides a lighter-weight coat that is perfect for even a 50-degree day. “Since fur is a natural product, it breathes and acclimates itself,” Griffin says. Sheared mink has a plush, velvety texture and less bulk than a traditional mink coat, retaining much of its insulation while remaining lighter. It provides a sleeker, more minimalistic profile. With different ways to shear, a customer can create a look all her own. Depending on how it is processed, a jacket can have added texture or patterned fur.
Barnes Furs’ fashion-forward furs are particularly beautiful in newly available colors. “We can dye in all kinds of hues today, while in the past we offered only natural fur,” says Griffin. “Even high-quality pelts can be custom enhanced. For instance, we have striking sapphire mink coats dyed mint green, pale pink and baby blue. The gray cross of the pelt is left in its natural state, while the white fur accepts the dye color for a unique look. The dying process provides a new look that couldn’t have been achieved for prior generations of wearers.”
Barnes Furs has one freestanding location—its flagship store, located in a historic Victorian house in Macon—plus six other locations throughout Georgia. In addition to the Macon store, the other locations are part of independent retailers, such as The Royal Collection in Albany, where Barnes Furs serves as the in-house fur department. “Our goal is to meet customers where they are and make it convenient for them to browse our inventory,” Griffin says. “I love it when people come in to browse and see all we have to offer. I think the biggest compliment I received was from a client who had visited furriers around the world. He said we were the nicest store with the best inventory and the most options he had ever seen.”
Griffin is proud to be the fourth generation serving Barnes Furs’ clients. Beulah Barnes opened the original Macon store in 1927 and ran it until her son took over its leadership. In the 1970s, Griffin’s father bought the store from the Barnes family and operated it until 1995, when Griffin took the reins. “I believe we are the oldest continually operating fur retailer in its original location,” Griffin says.
Barnes Furs’ inventory includes a wide range of products—fur coats, stoles, ponchos, vests, scarves, headbands, hats, purses and fur-trimmed gloves. “A mink or fox purse is a must-have for fall,” Griffin says. “Our ponchos, or toppers, are the newest items in inventory and have gained quite a following. We can style them lots of ways—with zippers, as pull-ons over the head or open to the front. Many of our customers wear them as part of their outfits all day.”
Though the majority of his business is selling new furs, Griffin’s company also restyles vintage furs, remaking them into entirely new garments. “For one customer, we took apart a 1960s mink stole, combined it with cashmere and refashioned it into a new jacket,” he says. “We can do some amazing transformations when remaking older furs. The possibilities are marvelous.” The company also can take older, thicker mink coats and re-shear them with today’s technology to give the same slim, lightweight profile of new fur apparel.
The services side of the business also provides cleaning, alterations and cold storage for customers. Since furs must be stored in cold, low-humidity conditions during the South’s hot summers in order to maintain their integrity, Barnes Furs’ cold storage is a trusted resource for Georgia fur owners. The furrier stores thousands of its clients’ items each year, annually conditioning and repairing them to keep them in the best shape possible. Its cold storage vault maintains a 45-degree Fahrenheit temperature at 50% humidity so the fur coats remain as supple as they were in new condition. “We ensure the leather on the underside of the fur does not dry out through rejuvenating conditioning and cold storage in the off-season,” Griffin explains. “This maintains the leather’s elasticity, which is imperative for the fur to remain in good shape for many years. If we take care of a fur in this way, it will last for 70 years and can be passed down to future generations.”
When well maintained, fur is naturally durable and can withstand getting wet. “If you get caught in a rainstorm, you simply need to shake out a fur coat and hang it to air dry,” Griffin says. “There’s no need to treat it like fine china.”
Barnes Furs is excited about the resurging interest in natural fur. “Fur is always the right coat for the temperature needed, since it is a breathable, natural product,” he says. “Just putting one on creates an emotional response; the feeling of wearing fur is like nothing else you can imagine.” *
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.
