FAKING FUR: More than three years after Maya Reik launched her company Marei 1998, the 20-year-old is stretching her ambition with a spinoff label called “I Am Furless.”
Building off the success of the faux fur items that have been offered from one season to the next, the designer has decided to capitalize on that interest. Her own company is self-funded with financial support from her family. The Italian-made collection is made possible through a 10-person team in the Tel Aviv home office, as well as outposts in Milan, New York and Los Angeles.
Seasonal trunk shows with Modus Operandi has helped to raise her profile, as have more traditional ones and wholesaling to select European boutiques and Marie 1998’s e-commerce site. About 60 percent of annual sales are driven by the company’s own site, she said. The main collection consists of about 30 styles retailing from $300 for a coat to $2,000 for an embroidered dress. By far, the faux fur coats have been bestsellers, Reik said.
The “I Am Furless” label is expected to launch in two weeks or so and will include handbags, scarves, sweatshirts and coats. A Paris photo shoot is planned with Daniel Jackont, who recently shot the
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