One million stars for David Appel. A wonderful man, an incredible artisan, a gift to anyone in need…read moreof a furrier's services.
My husband Matt B. lost his mother in 2005, shortly before we met, and is understandably quite sentimental about the objects she left behind. One of these was a gorgeous full-length red fox fur coat, purchased at great expense in the 1970s. My father-in-law gave it to me a few years back, and though I had no occasion to wear a huge fur in Los Angeles, we brought it home and hung it in a spare bedroom closet.
I knew nothing about taking care of fur, and didn't realize I couldn't just leave it out of sight and expect it to stay intact. In retrospect, I had at least one major hint--one of my dogs kept trying to hunt it when it was in my main closet, which is why I moved it to another room. As it turns out, moths also love fur, and we recently discovered they'd gone to town on the coat.
I took it to the dry cleaner, who looked it over and told me it was very likely ruined. Tufts of fur were coming off with every touch, and it seemed quite possible that cleaning it would be a waste of money. I decided to get it cleaned anyway, and was encouraged when it came back with more fur attached than anticipated.
I found David on Yelp and decided to take the coat to him. His shop is on Robertson, where it's been for decades, and he only sees customers by appointment. I called ahead on a Friday and was able to get an appointment an hour later. Street parking was rough, but I was allowed to park in their little lot in back. The woman running the admin side of things was very gracious and competent.
The shop was small and proud and dense with luxurious furs, both vintage pieces and David Appel originals. I went in with my two-year-old and David was there to meet us. He took us through his work area into the front room, where my kid and I sat while he examined the fur coat. He was sweet to my boy and talked lovingly of his own grandchildren.
He was calm and direct, with the assurance that comes with deep expertise. David is a third-generation furrier, and he's been working with fur since he was a child. I hope he's been training someone to take over the business when he retires, because it feels like it would take decades to pass on that kind of knowledge and experience.
I was hoping to turn the coat into a short jacket using whatever was left of the original fur. Thankfully, the moths mostly went for the bottom of the coat, leaving the top half looking plausibly salvageable. David said he could do it--the alteration was no problem, and there was enough fur to work with to fix the spotty patches that couldn't be cut away. He had me put the coat on, took some measurements, and showed me roughly how it would look when it was done.
He also told me he'd have to replace the lining, and asked if I wanted to preserve the label and the monogram. I didn't know about any monogram, but he said a fur coat from the 1970s was likely to have one. He looked and found it--Matt's mom's name embroidered in cursive in the lining of the coat.
He named a fair price, and I paid half up front and asked when the coat would be ready. He said I'd have it in time for next season, and I figured I wouldn't hear from him for a few months. The coat was ready in a week.
I cannot believe how beautifully it turned out. David told me it would be like new, and he absolutely delivered. It has the glamor and character of the old coat, but the cropped length and 3/4 sleeves make it look fresh and much more sensible for 2020s Los Angeles. I would've felt guilty altering the coat before, but thanks to David--and, I suppose, those ravenous moths--I have a vintage family fur I not only love but can actually wear. The monogram, which we otherwise might not have known about, is intact.
I am so glad I found David and am deeply grateful for his craft. If you have old furs in need of love and restoration, take them to David Appel. He'll know what to do.
