Jan. 25, 2023

BrandyAnn Fiala knows her fur.

Fox fur is durable and warm, while the classic mink is timeless and will always be No. 1 among those seeking warmth and beauty. Sheared beaver displays the velvet feel of mink while offering the greatest protection from the cold.

That knowledge of fur — and the ability to repair and repurpose costs that are now decades old — was gained during the 11 months she spent training under two furriers, Leonard and Gail Iwinski of Eilers Furs. Fiala now puts it to use as the fourth owner of the 96-year-old South Dakota company.

Fiala views the ownership of a fur coat, once seen as a sign of wealth, now more as an embrace of quality as opposed to what she describes as “fast-food fashion.” Fur is versatile, she said.

Vintage furs can make a great fashion statement. That includes wearing intact garments or, as one family did, cutting up an heirloom coat to make fur collars for new denim jackets.

Fur invites people to touch its softness, Fiala said. It’s also a unisex fashion with both men and women enjoying it.

Fiala, who plans to update the location Eilers Furs has occupied for more than 20 years, knows the history of her new business well. German immigrant William Eilers established the first retail store in 1927 in Huron. He was in charge of advertising and sales, while his wife did the sewing. That store closed years ago, but Eilers maintains a vault in Huron where furs are stored over the winter. At one time, Eilers employed 25 people to sew and alter the coats; much of the original equipment remains in the Huron vault, Fiala said.

Eilers’ younger son, Bill, joined his father as a furrier after working in the fashion industry in Paris. He moved Eilers to Rapid City in 1955 and opened in Sioux Falls in 1975. He expanded Eilers to a department store in Billings, Montana, the Bon Marche department store chain in Seattle and smaller stores in seven other locations in Washington and Oregon.

In 1985, with the Bon March lease concluded and the Billings store closed after a fire, Bill Eilers focused on using the internet to expand his stores’ reach. In 1991, looking ahead to retirement, he reached out to a former employee, Gail Iwinski, who had worked in Rapid City and managed the Billings store. She and her husband, Leonard, were managing a retail fur store in Marquette, Michigan, when Eilers gave them the chance to own and operate Eilers Furs. He died in 2003, and the store in Rapid City closed shortly after.

The Iwinskis moved Eilers Furs from 41st Street, where it had moved from downtown in 1985, to The Bridges on 57th in 1999. Eilers Furs was the first store to open in the development, Fiala said.

Fiala worked with the Iwinskis for almost a year before the couple’s retirement early this month. Her training as a furrier began in February 2022, and she took over the store’s ownership Jan. 6. That training included learning how to sew, alter and repair furs.

Fiala has developed a love and admiration for the furs in her store, referring to them as “the girls” and her daughters.

“Furs comes to life,” said Fiala, who worked in marketing for 20 years. “When they’re on hangers, they’re just a coat. Put it on, and it’s alive.”

Fur can dress up any outfit, she said, pointing to a stole recently purchased by a young customer who plans to wear it on evenings out.

At the same time, furs need proper care. Like a car or piece of gold jewelry, when it is taken care of properly, a fur can last long beyond the original owner’s lifetime.

“A fur coat will outlast most of us,” Fiala said. “That’s why people hand them down.”

That’s why in the spring, Fiala will travel to Aberdeen, Rapid City, Dakota Dunes, Sioux City and Marquette to pick up furs to make sure they are stored properly during the heat and humidity of summer. Fiala also plans to add that service to Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota. A furrier in Minnesota has retired, and she expects to expand into that state too.

Fiala’s store carries smaller items with fur such as slippers and teddy bears. She outsources those products to self-employed business owners in South Dakota. Eilers also accepts furs for consignment, allowing the owner to set the price.

The United States was founded on fur trading, Fiala said. She knows some people disapprove, but fake fur that requires petroleum products can be extremely bad on “the environment, atmosphere and the air we breathe,” Fiala said. Animals used to produce fur pelts are farm-raised, properly vaccinated and used for meat and in products that benefit humans, she noted.

The store is open Monday through Saturday.