After a century acquiring peerless expertise in working with natural hides, Yves Salomon’s latest shearling collection is a masterclass in timeless luxury and artisanal craftsmanship
When a small family-run company operating in the cut-throat sector of luxury fashion can celebrate its 105th birthday, you know it’s doing something right. Founded in 1920, Yves Salomon embodies discreet French elegance, blending artisanal savoir-faire with innovative spirit.
The maison has always been known for its expertise in natural fibres, a reputation that stretches back to its earliest origins, when founder and Russian dissident Gregory Salomon was exiled to Siberia. It was there that he became familiar with the trading of hides, and this passion has been passed down through subsequent Salomon generations.
This autumn and winter, shearling takes centre stage. It’s a material that’s both a nod to heritage and a bold statement of modern style.
‘Yves Salomon is presenting a shearling capsule collection showing our leadership in this natural, authentic material,’ says Mr Salomon, noting that ‘each piece is the result of a meticulous artisanal process, reflecting our commitment to excellence and family craftsmanship.’
Shearling, which is lambskin tanned with the wool intact, offers suede on one side and plush wool on the other. Yves Salomon uses four premium varieties: robust merino, finer merinillo, supple lacon and fluid toscana. These are shaved, dyed, fused with cashmere or left natural, creating versatile designs, from reversible coats to weightless hybrids.
‘Creating a shearling coat requires time and attention to detail,’ Mr Salomon explains of the painstaking process. ‘Each panel is hand-shaped and assembled, with subtle stitching and invisible seams signalling refined craftsmanship.’
The autumn/winter 25 collection showcases ‘a long, fluffy, wild shearling in burnt brown, taupe, golden whisky, forest green, beige and ivory’ alongside ‘light, shiny, soft coats and jackets, expressing Yves Salomon’s expertise’.
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For women, the shearling collection offers versatility and tactility in equal measure. Reversible coats adapt to moods, with toscana lamb creating silky, dramatic outerwear and shaved merinillo crafting polished essentials. Oversized silhouettes, such as plush bombers or flowing trenches in earthy tones, blend warmth with chic precision. Mr Salomon calls them ‘timeless yet inherently modern’, capturing ‘the essence of luxury where technique serves understated elegance’.
On the men’s side, the collection channels refined masculinity, perfectly iterated in the Aviator lambskin shearling hoodie, which is inspired by traditional flight-jacket silhouettes, only re-imagined for a more casual aesthetic. Long overcoats such as the 7/8 coat in lacon shearling lambskin and the toscana lambskin shearling parka-style coat are unbelievably soft and, while they might look dense, are actually quite lightweight.
‘Every piece embodies the quiet sophistication and enduring quality that define our maison,’ Mr Salomon affirms, highlighting how these eclectic, tailored shapes bridge heritage and modernity.
Since 2018, sustainability initiatives such as recycling fur remnants underscore ethical craftsmanship, which the brand takes very seriously. A lot of societal changes have taken place since Gregory Salomon was working with furriers in Siberia in the 1920s, and Yves Salomon has adapted, adhering to a strict environmental policy. It also introduced its Pièces line, a range which upcycles archival fabrics into unique, one-of-a-kind pieces, championing waste-free fashion. Throughout all of the brand’s collections, there is a sense that these are not merely garments but cherished heirlooms that collect character and stories over time. In a world of over-consumption, Yves Salomon’s garments are the ultimate in slow fashion.
