Sy Schreibman, owner of Schreibman-Raphael Inc., a high-end Manhattan furrier for over 60 years, died Friday morning. He was 87.
The cause of death was complications from pneumonia, said his daughter, Cindy Schreibman.
Born in the Bronx, Schreibman was raised in Far Rockaway, Queens. After serving in World War II, he graduated from New York University with a business degree. He immediately joined his father’s furrier business, Schreibman Bros. Later, he became partners with Paul Raphael, and they changed the name of the furrier to Schreibman-Raphael. Schreibman-Raphael created fur collections under both the Diane von Furstenberg and Givenchy labels in the Eighties and Nineties, respectively.
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Schreibman specialized in high-quality furs such as broadtails, minks and sables. “He was an old-school furrier who paid attention to every stitch, every collar and every cuff,” said his daughter. Over the years, his customers included Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. Schreibman frequently traveled to Europe, South America and China. He kept working up until this past January, when he closed the business.
A resident of Battery Park City in Manhattan, Schreibman was an avid bridge player, golfer and sailor. He was also an active fund-raiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Besides his daughter Cindy, Schreibman is survived by his wife, Marilyn; another daughter, Leslie Long, and her partner, Doug Murray; a son-in-law, Andrew Pakula, and his grandson, Bradley.