Not Your Grandma’s Mink… or Is It?

Photos by Susan Nieman and Norman Gilbert Photography, llc

Fur is in. Vests, hats, scarves, shawls, earmuffs, teddy bears, jackets in all shapes and lengths and even blankets!

Jim Holloway, Master Furrier

When I walked into Holloway Furs in East Memphis this fall to do a photo shoot, I was hooked. The hardest part was deciding which type of fur I liked the most – mink, beaver, fox, lynx – long or sheared. Then I remembered my mother’s sheared beaver evening jacket. When I asked her about it, she also told me she still had my Nana’s mink jacket.

I was curious. So I took them to Jim Holloway, owner and master furrier of Holloway Furs, who I hoped could work his magic on these fabulous finds.

Jim, who at 12 years old began trapping and selling raw skins, is passionate about creating pieces to match the personality of the person wearing it. His passion drove him to commute between his hometown of Water Valley, Miss., and Memphis six days a week for two years when he started his apprenticeship at Lewers Fur Shop in 1984.

Working first under the guidance of Hewlett Lewer and later Grady Horton, Gregory Gang and Gilbert Kirschner (Kay), Jim learned about making patterns, tanning skins, alterations, restyling, repairing and cleaning. In 1992 he opened Holloway Furs.

Today Jim is almost as busy creating new designs as he is selling new furs. “Every job is fascinating to me,” said Jim. “I learn something new from every job and from every lady. I can take your grandmother’s coat and change the sleeves, reshape the neck, shoulder or waist, or make a vest or blanket.” Just about anything to make a girl happy.

Jim creates one-of-a-kind blankets, jackets, and other outer wear from fabulous furs.

Photos by Norman Gilbert Photography, llc

Jim may be the last of a dying breed. “Becoming a master furrier takes a lot of commitment, time and patience,” he explained. “There aren’t a lot of young people interested, no college course in the USA, no fraternity of other furriers. It takes a lot of years to learn to be a good furrier, but once you learn, no one can take that knowledge away.”

Casey Holloway is learning the trade his father is so passionate about.

Son Casey Holloway recently began working along side Jim and assistant and past Goldsmith’s furrier Jimmy Charles Morris, Sr. Perhaps the passion is passing from one generation to the next, just as with the furs they create.