News

N.W.T. hoping foxy price for furs will motivate trappers to help curb numbers

1/23/2012 2:31:41 PM

by Chinta Puxley
Canadian Business

YELLOWKNIFE - The Northwest Territories government is hoping record prices for fox fur pelts will encourage northern trappers to target the critters and keep a check on the burgeoning population.

The price doubled at a recent auction in North Bay, Ont., with cross fox pelts going for $100, more than triple the average price. White fox pelts went for $200 — up from $40 in previous years.

Francois Rossouw, with the territory's Industry Department, said that kind of price for fox is unheard of.

"We really hope the prices will get people targeting foxes," Rossouw said. "Every community in the North has their own resident fox it seems. Instead of having problem wildlife, we would prefer to have them harvest the foxes humanely and pelt them up properly and put them into the market."

Fur has garnered above-average prices this year compared to years past, Rossouw said. Wild fox is particularly in demand from Chinese buyers.

China controls about 90 per cent of the market and has a large, growing middle-class that is starting to covet fur as a luxurious accessory, Rossouw said. Appetite for ranch fox has been growing and now that demand is spilling over into wild pelts.

Record prices might be enough to tempt trappers such as Fred Mandeville. The Hay River, N.W.T., man has been out on the traplines for more than 60 years. He said he's never gone after foxes before.

"We don't bother them," Mandeville said. "They get caught sometimes in the trap."

Trappers are more interested in catching lynx and marten — pelts that can bring up to $1 million into the territory annually, he said. That could change if prices for fox pelts stay high, Mandeville suggested. There are plenty of foxes around — especially closer to Yellowknife — and there are fewer lynx.

Prices would have to stay pretty high to make it worthwhile for trappers because the business is getting more expensive, he added.

"The price of gas is so high. That's where the money goes most of the time. They use snow machines nowadays not like the old days...with dog teams. You didn't have to worry about anything."

If trappers start targeting northern foxes, they will have the blessing of some environmentalists who study the population. Peter Ewins, director of species conservation at World Wildlife Fund Canada, said the fox population can boom in the North, especially when there are lots of lemmings for the animals to feed on.

Trapping foxes is a sustainable hunt which tends to regulate itself, he said.

"The trappers will be the first ones to tell you when numbers are in decline because they won't get so many pelts," Ewins said. "There is a lot of work involved to run the trapline. If you keep coming back in after two or three weeks without more than a couple of foxes, it's not worth your while, so you will ease up."

Even if this year's fox prices don't drive trappers to look for foxes, Northwest Territories government officials say the high prices are good news. The numbers indicate animal rights activists haven't put much of a dent in the demand for fur, Rossouw said.

"Everybody thinks the anti-fur movement has clobbered fur and people don't like fur anymore," he said. "At the end of the day, it's still the best fibre to use when it's cold. There is no two ways about it."

In depth Radio - Newstalk 1010

1/16/2012 4:55:42 PM

We know that the fur industry is very controversial but did you know how much fur industry in Canada brings in each year? John was joined by the Executive Vice President of the Fur Council of Canada Allan Herscovici to give us more detail into this industry that we talk about a great length but often know very little about.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH ALAN HERSCOVICI

Fur pelts command record-high prices

1/16/2012 4:24:42 PM

by John Goddard
The Star

Fur prices continue to hit last year’s record-high prices at this season’s first European auctions — good news for Canadian trappers, mink farmers and fur-clothing manufacturers.

“The number of customers exceeded all expectations,” the world’s biggest fur auction house Kopenhagen Fur said of its opener two weeks ago. Helsinki’s first auction met similarly high demand.

The trend springs from three positive industry developments, says Alan Herscovici, executive vice-president of the Montreal-based Fur Council of Canada.

Design innovation, the opening of vast Asian markets, and the fur industry’s progress in articulating its side of the ethical debate have coincided, he said this week in a wide-ranging interview.

Q: What are auction houses getting for fur?

A: Farmed mink is the industry benchmark. There are probably 50 million mink skins a year produced globally. Canada produces a little less than 3 million. In the late 1980s, the last time fur prices were so strong, the average mink pelt— averaging the many qualities, types and colours — brought close to $50 (U.S.) In the economic downturn of 1992, mink prices fell as low as $20. In the last couple of years, not only have prices come back but have actually gone past those levels. Last year, the overall average was well over $65. Some mink pelts brought more than $100.

Q: What does that mean for Canadian fur?

A: In 2010, the last year we have complete figures for, total fur exports — pelts and garments — brought more than $450 million. That’s up 36 per cent from the year before, more than a third, from $331 million. In the recession of 1992, the figure was $143 million.

Q: What accounts for today’s high demand?

A: Several things. One: We have seen totally new markets open up, such as northern China, with its new middle class. Imagine The Bay store in downtown Toronto, the whole store just fur boutiques. There are towns in northern China with several of those. It’s hard to believe. China has become one of the biggest consumers of furs and one of the biggest manufacturers of furs, too. Fur manufacturing is labour-intensive and China has low labour costs. China has taken over most of the world’s manufacturing and centres such as New York, Montreal, Milan and Frankfurt have been seriously reduced. Markets are also opening up in Korea, where there is a strong fashion industry, and even places like Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Also, Russia, where people have always loved fur, has become a major importer of finished fur products.

Q: What is another reason?

A: Technical and design innovation. Fur is much more lightweight now. It’s done by micro-shearing the fur, by making the leather thinner and often by making the furs reversible, with a leather side. You don’t have the inner linings of old-fashioned coats, which is what people are looking for because people are dressing sportier, in modern, technical materials that are lighter and a lot less bulky. Sheared mink is a very strong trend.

Q: Are Canadian furriers developing new designs as well?

A: Yes. The Fur Council has created the brand “Beautifully Canadian,” with the website www.beautifullycanadian.com, to promote contemporary Canadian design internationally. We’re seeing a lot of sheared mink, sheared other furs, and now with accents of big long-hair collars — fox, coyote or beaver.

Q: Haven’t animal-rights campaigns tainted fur for European and North American consumers?

A: Ethics are important not only for Europe and North America but for Russia and Asia as well. To put in a plug for the Canadian fur industry, we have some of world’s best regulated, best managed, ecologically sustainable, humane trapping and farming practices, and we’re doing a better job of telling our side of the story.

Q: What is your side of the story?

A: The World Conservation Union, the World Wildlife Fund, all the major conservation and environmental groups today promote sustainable use of wildlife and animals as a renewable, natural resource. They recognize that humane practices are respected and realize that these PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are totally anti-ecological.

Q: How do you mean “anti-ecological?”

A: It is ironic that we talk today so much about “green” and protecting the planet, yet we have never been less ecological in terms of clothing. We wear clothes that are inexpensive, nice-looking, trendy and thrown away after a couple of seasons, and 80 per cent of this cheap clothing is synthetic. They are like plastic bags. We’ve cut down on plastic bags but hundreds of millions of metric tonnes are thrown in the trash every year with no recycling program. Fur lasts a long time and at the end of its life it is biodegradable. The fur industry is well regulated, it is sustainable and it is totally in sync with modern environmental thinking.

Proposed Russian Seal Trade Restrictions Perplexing

12/23/2011 2:22:28 PM

Press Release
Fur Institute of Canada

Ottawa, December 22, 2011 - The Fur Institute of Canada and the Seals and Sealing Network members are perplexed to hear that the Russian Federation, Belarus and Kazakhstan are proposing trade restrictions on harp seal products.

“The WTO notification issued December 17th is unclear as to the scope and implementation date of the resolution, and we are currently seeking further clarification through government and non-government channels,” said Rob Cahill, FIC Executive Director. He went on to say that “we are pleased with the swift and serious attention to this development given by the Government of Canada and the direct involvement of Minister Fast at International Trade”. Russia will soon be joining the World Trade Organization, and the Canadian government is challenging the EU seal ban (2009) at a WTO Panel.

“Obviously, it is frustrating to hear of a proposal to restrict trade, especially considering the close relationship between Canada and Russia as northern countries reliant on natural resources.”

Seal populations are at record high numbers in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, and Canada and Russia are co-signatories of the 1997 Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards, where they have worked collaboratively to scientifically address animal welfare concerns. “Clearly Russians, like most western people do accept the responsible, sustainable use of wildlife.” Mr. Cahill concluded.

Quick Facts on Seals and Sealing in Canada

Conservation

The Northwest Atlantic harp seal population is abundant and well conserved, numbering 9.5 million – the highest level ever scientifically estimated. Since the 1970’s, the population has multiplied by 4-5 times. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists the harp seal as a species of “least concern”.
The grey seal population in Eastern Canada has increased from a level of approximately 20,000 in the mid 1970’s, to some 400,000 today. This represents an almost 18-fold increase. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) also lists the grey seal as a species of “least concern”.
The Arctic ringed seal, which is the primary species utilized by Inuit communities, has an estimated population of 1.2 million. Long-term population trends are not currently available, but the World Conservation Union (IUCN) also lists the ringed seal as a species of “least concern”.

Animal Welfare

Hunting methods of required of Canadian professional seal hunters are effective and conform with established practices of animal welfare, as recommended by the Independent Veterinarians’ Working Group (IVWG 2005).

Eco-system impacts

Canada’s harp seal population alone consumes 13.3 million tonnes of fish annually. By comparison, Canada’s annual fishery (all coasts) yields less than 1 million tonnes.
Consumption estimates indicate that harp seals consume more than 500,000 tonnes of cod per year. Canada’s total annual Atlantic codfish quota for fishing is currently 22,973 tonnes.
While the World Conservation Union’s Redlist of Threatened Species lists harp seals as species of “least concern,” the Atlantic cod is listed as “vulnerable”.

Seal products

Seal hides, or “pelts” are handled locally in Canada, where they are tanned into high-quality materials.
Seal meat and seal oil (rendered from fat), provide locally-sourced protein and a superior source Omega-3 essential fatty acid (EFA) source for human consumption. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency certifies production facilities, inspects products and issues export certificates.
Research and initial trials suggest harp seal heart valves are far superior to those traditionally used in human heart valve replacement procedures.

Source: Seals and Sealing Network, 2011 www.sealsandsealing.net

PETA and fiddler Ashley MacIsaac in fur clash

11/8/2011 2:43:44 PM

CBC News

Musician arrives to anti-fur demonstration wearing muskrat, carrying sign supporting seal hunt.

World-renowned Cape Breton fiddler Ashley MacIsaac confronted PETA protesters in downtown Windsor, Ont., on Friday afternoon.

MacIsaac arrived at an anti-fur demonstration alone, unannounced and wearing a muskrat fur coat.

He was also carrying a handmade sign reading "I support the Canadian Seal Hunt."

MacIsaac's coat, which he playfully stroked while talking to reporters, was reversible with a leather lining.

"It’s people, then it’s animals," MacIsaac told reporters.

Two provocatively dressed PETA members wearing tight-fitting faux police uniforms were protesting the fur and leather clothing industry, which they called violent and cruel.

PETA member Emily Lavender called Friday's demonstration fun and upbeat.

But MacIsaac takes exception to many of PETA's protests. He said they are often extreme and need an extreme opposition.

"PETA has a good cause, which is to ethically treat animals, but the focus hasn't been on that, it’s been on being extreme. I’m just offended by some of the things PETA does to protest," MacIsaac said. "I’m for the ethical treat of animals, I’m also for farming and hunting animals."

Supports seal hunt

MacIsaac said he strongly supports the annual seal hunt on Canada's east coast. He claims there are three million extra seals than can be naturally sustained.

"I’m against anybody telling a fisherman who is out at five in the morning, on the ice in the North Atlantic, that they know better than [the fishermen] know about what it’s like to make a living out there and what is a humane way to do the seal hunt," said MacIsaac, who is originally from Cape Breton and now lives in Windsor. "I was raised a hunter. I know how to hunt with proper technique without harming animals."

MacIsaac said Canada was born out of the fur trade. And that fur is a necessity during harsh Canadian winters.

"To assume I live in Brazil and don’t need to wear warm clothes in the winter, go to Winnipeg at Portage and Main in the middle of winter and you’ll be happy you had a fur," MacIsaac said.

PETA member Emily Lavender disagreed.

"There is no excuse to be wearing fur or skin," Lavender said. "There are so many fashionable, durable warm, comfortable options."

Ottawa farmers declare war on the beaver

11/1/2011 10:57:48 AM

National Post
by Tamsin McMahon

The Canadian beaver, unwittingly dragged into a fight to retain its place as the symbol of national pride, has a new enemy.

Last week, Senator Nicole Eaton called on the government to retire the beaver as Canada’s national emblem, arguing the polar bear was a more appropriate image than a “dentally defective rat.”

Now a group of nearly 100 Ottawa-area farmers has declared war on the beaver, whose population has exploded with the decline of beaver trapping, leaving the critters to build dozens of dams that have destroyed trees, flooded farmland and are now threatening farmers’ wells, septic systems and roads.

“The beaver was the national symbol because of its value and because of the fur trade and the fact that it is a very industrious and hardworking creature,” said farmer John Woodfine. “If left unchecked, it’s just like anything else. It will just go right off the map and the water will come onto the map and that’s what’s happened here.”

Mr. Woodfine has lost more than half his 57-acre sheep farm south of Ottawa to flooding caused by dozens of beaver dams along a 13-kilometre stretch of the Kemptville Creek. For his neighbour, Horace Roxborough, the issue finally came to a head last fall when a delivery truck got stuck in the mud near his barn and had to be pulled out with a tow truck.

“The fact is, over the past 30 years this area has slowly become a swamp, and it’s directly attributed to the pesky little beavers,” he said.

The farmers, along with local municipalities and the conservation authority, have pooled $5,000 to hire a lone trapper to breach the dams and trap beavers. But Mr. Roxborough said it’s a losing battle.

“The only way to do it is to really annihilate these dams because they’ll have it patched up again the next day,” he said. “It’s a war. It’s really a war.”

As an indication of how far the beaver has fallen since the days when its silken fur lured European traders to North America, trappers now earn five times as much to kill the animals for pest control than they do selling their fur.

The global market for beavers “is soft right now,” said Bill Davies, president of the Canadian National Trappers Alliance. Beavers command as much as $125 apiece if killed as a pest, but as little as $20 at a fur auction. Trappers can capture only about four or five beavers a day and each one takes 90 minutes to skin and dry. Coupled with rising fuel costs, along with government royalties and auction fees, and beavers are no longer worth the trouble.

Government red-tape and strict environmental regulation shut down much of the domestic beaver fur processing plants. Overseas demand for fur has shifted from the fashion house of Italy to the emerging markets of China and Russia, neither of which has the expertise in the delicate art of beaver pelt processing.

Canada has sent beaver processors overseas to teach their foreign counterparts in a bid to boost demand for beavers, but that will take time. Meanwhile, interest has shifted to furs that are easier to process, like fox and wolf. Even raccoons, Mr. Davies said, are now in more demand than the beaver.

Traditional trappers pride themselves in using all parts of the beaver. But Mr. Davies said that has become impossible because of regulations prohibiting trappers from tanning beaver hides for sale, selling beaver meat for once-popular wild game roasts in Southern Ontario, or selling the fat and carcasses to rendering plants.

Instead, Mr. Davies has taken to using the beavers he traps as props in his training courses and feeding the innards to his dog.

“Unfortunately, it’s getting more and more that way,” he said. “I can make far more money on a nuisance beaver, and I think that’s a crying shame in this country when we consider our wildlife a disposable commodity. I can understand mice and rats, but surely to goodness we can put more of a value on our [beavers] than nuisance and throwaway.”

Sharon Brown, a biologist with advocacy organization Beavers: Wetlands and Wildlife, said the rodent is misunderstood. Beaver dams create wetlands, one of the most efficient ecosystems in North America when it comes to filtering carbon emissions, silt and pesticides, and supporting diverse wildlife such as fish, deer and waterfowl.

“Beavers can help us this way and they work for free if we only allow them to be our allies,” she said. “But people don’t see the hidden benefits. They see the flooded road or the downed trees.”

Given the public interest in environmental stewardship, Ms. Brown said the beaver is a much more appropriate Canadian symbol than the polar bear. It’s simply an animal in need of a public relations makeover.

“Polar bears are a predator. Do you want an animal that stalks people and kills them as a national symbol?” Ms. Brown asked. “Beavers are gentle vegetarians. They have big teeth, but they’re not going to bite you unless you have a wooden leg.”

Troops to receive ‘distinctly Canadian’ fur hats

10/7/2011 3:16:21 PM

The Globe and Mail

The Department of National Defence has decided to add fur to the winter gear of the Canadian Forces, a move that’s getting a frosty reception from animal-rights advocates.

The government says fur is part of Canada’s heritage and the winter tuque currently in use doesn’t stand up to the rigours of the Canadian winter. So it’s buying an initial run of 1,000 fur-trimmed caps at a cost of $65,000, for use by guards of honour and Canadian Forces starting this winter.

“It has recently been identified that the winter tuque does not meet the Canadian Forces requirements in our Canadian climate,” said DND spokeswoman Josée Hunter.

It’s another return to tradition for the Harper government, which has restored the “Royal” designation to the air force and navy. British troops serving in Canada in the 1800s wore a fur head covering, and the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (now the Communications and Electronics Branch) donned muskrat hats in the 1920s and 30s.

Although bearskin caps are still worn by the Ceremonial Guard, the Forces have largely switched from fur to synthetic. A synthetic fur cap was put into general service for male personnel after unification of the forces in 1968, and women’s mink fur hats were replaced by tuques in the 1990s.

Now, however, National Defence says the winter headgear isn’t cutting it, so it is bringing in so-called Yukon caps trimmed with muskrat fur.

“DND has reintroduced fur for the Yukon cap because the current winter tuque and synthetic version of the Yukon cap did not meet the specific requirements of the [Canadian Forces], including the thermal requirements due to our Canadian climate,” Ms. Hunter said in an e-mail.

That claim was greeted with incredulity by animal-rights groups, who say modern synthetics have become proven substitutes for fur.

“There are synthetics that are just as good and that don’t necessitate the killing of animals,” Elizabeth Sharpe of the World Society for the Protection of Animals said from Toronto. “Killing animals for their fur is completely unnecessary and cruel.”

Lesley Fox of the British Columbia-based Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals says muskrats are known to chew off their limbs to free themselves from leg-hold traps.

“With fur being such a controversial issue, this is a very surprising move,” she said. “When we think of Canada, we think of celebrating wildlife, not wearing it. Any time you have a government or one of its departments wearing fur, it really misrepresents the current values of Canadians.”

The Defence Department defended the move and noted the Forces’ hats are modelled on those worn by the RCMP.

“The uniforms worn by the Canadian Forces are a reflection of Canada’s proud heritage,” Ms. Hunter said, calling the hats “distinctly Canadian.”

Fur Insider

9/21/2011 12:50:31 PM

FASHION NOTES: There’s a quick and simple way for fur lovers to review the highlights of the new fur collections by about two dozen leading international designers. Clicking on www.furinsider.com brings up an assortment of current photos, reviews and other articles of interest.

Intricate fur craftmanship at 2011 Haute Couture collections

9/21/2011 12:45:14 PM

IFTF Fur Times

The Haute Couture is a place where designers explore the limits of their own creativity and show of their technical design skills. At the 2011/2012 Autumn/Winter Haute Couture shows in Paris fur combined with other sumptuous fabrics to create unique and beautifully crafted garnments.

Jean Paul Gaultier demonstrated his exquisite craftmanship with his much talked about Alpine sweater. Elie Saab appliqued fur onto semi-sheer eveningwear fabrics like chiffon and organza to create a textural patterned feel and Alexis Mabile worked printed fur into a full-lenght evening gown silhouette.

After the shows, Jean Paul Gaultier in particular, was lauded in the international media for his impressive design collection.

''Jean Paul Gaultier showed the best collection of the week by a long way. This man does the most sophisticated tutti-frutti mixture in fashion. Velvet, chiffon - fabulous when edged with mink. ''

Sandy Parker's report - 27 sept.

9/21/2011 12:32:14 PM

Promotion dept.: Saks Fifth Avenue, whose fur departments are leased to BC International, has posted a fur catalog of its own on its website. Under a catchline that reads: “Real or faux, fur is essential for fall”, it displays 61 photos of fur and fur-trimmed garments by about 20 designers. Mostly boutique-type items and accessories, they range in price up to $7,900 for a goat poncho by Gucci. It offers free delivery on orders over $150, but the lowestprice item pictured is a $350 Burberry fox-trimmed wool/cashmere short coat. BC will also have an online presentation for Saks, but in the meantime has been running print ads featuring items by leading designers.

From Sandy Parker's reports
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Fendi on the Han River

9/21/2011 12:27:34 PM

IFTF Fur Times

Fendi successfully hosted a prestigious fashion show in Seoul, Korea on 2 June. The event launched Fendi's 2011 Autumn/Winter collection and celebrated Seoul's brand new landmark, the floating island on the Han River in the center of the city. Around 1,200 invited guests attented the fashion show and the various after-show events on the island, with several thousand poeple watching the show live on the shoreline giant screen around the world online. The IFTF was delighted to provide assistance to Fendi after pressure from animal rights campaigners threw the success of the event into serious doubt.

Sandy Parker's report - 25 sept.

9/21/2011 12:17:28 PM

Fur apparel importes into the U.S. continued their upward course in July but, again, the increase was entirely in items of furs other than mink - a sharp reversal of the trend of previous years.The new trend is a direct reflection of how American retailers have been reacting to the sharp price increases in mink skins and garments. The July mink figure was only about 2% off from the same month a year ago but, considering that the garment prices have advanced about 25%, this would indicate a sizable decline in the number of units imported. According to the latest Commerce Dept. data, total imports for the month amounted to $15.9 million, an increase of 40%. But while the mink portion dipped to $4.6 million, other furs soared 71% to $11.3 million.

From Sandy Parker's reports
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Man tries to sell stolen holy fur hat with owner's name written inside

9/21/2011 12:07:25 PM

BY Oren Yaniv

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Ken Goldfield for News/Goldfield, Ken, freelance NYDN

Robert Giuff stole a traditional schtreimel fur hat worn by Hasidic Jews and tried to sell it for $350 without noticing the owner's name written inside. A Brooklyn thief who needs his head examined swiped a $2,200 Jewish fur hat with the owner's name written inside - and then tried to sell it, prosecutors say.

Robert Giuff, 38, made the mistake of trying to sell the "shtreimel" - a velvet hat surrounded by fur- for $350 at a Williamsburg hat store, prosecutors said.

The shopkeeper found the name and phone number of the hat's owner, Miushe Horowitz, written inside the headpiece.

When Horowitz was reached, he said someone had broken into his car overnight, according to court documents. The accused topper-taker was arrested and charged with grand larceny.

"My client says he found it next to garbage on the street," said defense lawyer Adrian Lesher.

Giuff, who has seven prior misdemeanors and is currently in a court-mandated drug program, was ordered held on $5,000 bail.

A shtreimel, mainly worn by married men, can cost more than $5,000 and is the most expensive piece of Hasidic clothing.

Sandy Parker's report - 23 sept.

9/21/2011 12:02:10 PM

With two consecutive successful seasons behind them, Western retailers’ inventories are relatively clean and their new purchases have tended to be on the conservative side. Their confidence has been bolstered by the fact that furs are again prominent in more international designers’ fall-winter collections than ever, both as full garments and as trimmings. But the Western markets no longer control price or other trends at the skin level; instead are obliged to follow the courses determined by China and Russia, where increasing capitalism is enabling newly enriched consumers to enjoy the fruits of their new wealth. Perhaps ironically, even more than their counterparts in some debtridden Western countries.

From Sandy Parker's reports
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IFTF and EFBA open joint Brussels office

9/21/2011 11:52:01 AM

Internation Fur Trade Federation

The IFTF are delighted to announce the opening of our Brussels office, which is shared with EFBA. The office opened over the summer and will be the base for increased lobbying of the EU Institutions. IFTF CEO, Mark Oaten and EFBA's Managing Director, Francoise Hossay, continue to develop strong working relations and agree that working together is the best way forward in Europe. Jointly, the office will consist of a team of seven staff.

L'Afrique, des plumes et de la fourrure à la Fashion Week de NY

9/19/2011 10:40:35 AM

RTL Loisirs

L'Américain Michael Kors a transporté mercredi ses invités en Afrique, tandis que J. Mendel osait la fourrure blanche pour l'avant-dernier jour de la Fashion week de New York.

Dans un décor soigneusement rustique, Michael Kors, qui célébrait le 30e anniversaire de sa marque, a présenté ses "mémoires d'Afrique" : une série enlevée de robes, tuniques, mini-shorts en imprimé léopard ou zèbre, maillot de bains aux impressions de peau de serpent, ou portés avec une grosse ceinture de cuir sous un vaste imperméable.

Une robe léopard était rebrodée de plumes fauves, les imprimés africains alternaient avec des ponchos et des robes à grosse maille, portés avec de gros sacs en bandoulière, et des sandales spartiates revisitées montant jusqu'au genoux.

Les mannequins, parfois souriants, cultivaient un petit côté enfant sauvage, et certains trous étaient même soigneusement travaillés dans les cachemires.

L'acteur Michael Douglas était au premier rang, assis à côté du mannequin Rosie-Huntington Whiteley et de l'actrice Zoe Zaldan. Courtney Love avait elle aussi fait le détour jusqu'au Lincoln Center, ou plus d'une centaine de créateurs se produisent jusqu'à jeudi.

Dans un défilé électrique, Nanette Lepore a ensuite présenté des robes fluo, roses, jaunes et oranges, osant parfois la dentelle, confirmant la tendance très colorée de cette semaine printemps 2012, où le jaune et l'orange semblent incontournables.

Alors que la Fashion week se passionnait pour savoir si oui ou non Madonna allait enfin signer avec Coty pour créer son parfum, Norma Kamali avait ouvert la journée avec un défilé en 3D, avec lunettes spéciales obligatoires pour tous les invités.

J. Mendel a quant à lui présenté une collection plus classique, avec de longues robes blanches et noires, des assemblages géométriques, mais aussi beaucoup de dos nus, et de jupes en mousseline largement fendues sur la cuisse. Et fidèle à l'histoire de la marque --fondée à Paris par un fourreur en 1870-- il a agrémenté sa collection de petits boléros sans manche, en fourrure blanche, ou bleue.

Vendredi, la Fashion week s'achèvera avec Marc Jacobs, qui avait demandé à repousser sa présentation en évoquant le temps perdu en raison de l'ouragan Irène. Avant lui, Ralph Lauren et Calvin Klein sont également au programme.

Harricana avant et après la neige

9/19/2011 10:22:02 AM

Photo Marco Campanozzi, La Presse / La designer de Harricana, Mariouche G

Isabelle Massé, La Presse

(Montréal) […] La designer Mariouche Gagné présentera sa nouvelle collection de vêtements, chapeaux et accessoires au magasin Ogilvy. Elle est fébrile. Et ce, même si elle entretient de bons liens d'affaires avec le magasin haut de gamme du centre-ville de Montréal.

Cette fois, ce n'est pas toute la créativité hivernale de la griffe Harricana qu'elle dévoilera, mais une nouvelle ligne quatre saisons. «Je vends des produits d'hiver chez Ogilvy depuis 12 ans, raconte Mariouche Gagné. Mais on pourrait me dire non, cette fois. C'est comme si j'y allais pour la première fois.»

Dans l'espoir de contourner un creux annuel en revenus de cinq mois, Harricana propose cette année une collection qui n'est pas absolument hivernale. Chemises, petits foulards triangulaires, chapeaux pour protéger davantage du soleil que du froid, sacs et vestes arborant une fine couche de fourrure... Le tout, encore et toujours conçu dans des matériaux recyclés chic, marque de commerce de Harricana. «On a rasé la fourrure très court, explique la designer. Ça ressemble à du Harricana, mais moins poilu! On a gardé l'ADN de la marque.»

Portera-t-on du Harricana en juillet? «Je commence à admettre qu'on ne sera jamais vraiment été, répond Mariouche Gagné. Mais qu'on ne sera plus que -30 °C. Il y a quelques mois, le journaliste Jean-Paul Cauvin m'a dit: «Assume ta fourrure». Trouve ce que portent les Amérindiens l'été. Prends ce que tu as de plus fort l'hiver et essaie de la flipper l'été.»

La collection quatre-saisons Harricana est déjà tombée dans l'oeil d'un acheteur en Suisse et d'un autre en station de ski aux États-Unis. «Mais ce n'est pas encore énorme», affirme Mariouche Gagné qui espère, grâce à celle-ci, ajouter 200 000$ à son chiffre d'affaires.

À l'aube de ses 18 ans, la griffe Harricana est à un tournant. Elle le doit à une designer qui vient d'en avoir 40 et qui espère donner un levier extraordinaire à son bébé déjà fort estimé dans une quinzaine de pays (250 points de vente). D'ici 2014, Mariouche Gagné aimerait faire tripler son chiffre d'affaires et augmenter le nombre d'employés à temps plein de 15 à 30.

Ce nouvel élan passe notamment par le réaménagement de la boutique phare de Harricana (conçu par Saguez&Partners), sur Saint-Antoine Ouest, à Montréal. Là où sont situés les ateliers de fabrication de l'entreprise, les milliers de pieds carrés de fourrure qui servent à concevoir ses collections et le nouvel Économusée, ouvert en pleine Semaine de mode de Montréal, qui raconte l'histoire de la griffe, née dans un vieux manteau de fourrure de la mère de la designer!

Le nouvel espace représentera davantage ce à quoi fait écho la marque, tant pour les gens d'ici que d'ailleurs: la culture amérindienne, le bois, la vie à l'extérieur, la cabane au Canada... Au blanc des murs extérieurs et intérieurs se substitueront une façade noire, un plancher d'accueil partiellement en bois et un toit vert, notamment. On y retrouvera également un espace de création sur mesure plus chaleureux.

La transformation est évaluée à 300 000$. Elle donnera un canevas de boutique pour l'international. «On m'a demandé d'ouvrir des boutiques en Suisse, en Allemagne et en Russie, affirme Mariouche Gagné. En ce moment, je vends ce que je réussis à standardiser. On ne peut dessiner et transformer la matière aux Galeries Lafayette, par exemple. L'idée est de reproduire en plus petit tout ce qu'on a développé ici.

«J'aimerais avoir tout terminé au milieu de l'été prochain pour commencer à faire venir des partenaires internationaux», ajoute-t-elle.

Celle qui a conçu sa toute première collection sur une machine à coudre de l'usine de chaussures Marchildon, la nuit, fonce plus que jamais. «En tant qu'entrepreneure, on se fixe beaucoup d'objectifs, raconte Mariouche Gagné. Quand j'ai démarré la marque, à 24 ans, j'avais l'impression que je serais rendue beaucoup plus loin aujourd'hui. Mais bâtir une marque, c'est long. Surtout quand on se donne le défi de le faire entièrement ici, pas en Chine. Là, j'ai acquis des connaissances. Il faut que ça commence à me rapporter.»

Fur –The Pearl in our Oyster

9/19/2011 10:07:55 AM

Infur Magazine

Central Ostrobothnia University of Applied Sciences/Department of Fur Design proudly presents a co-operative project between the students and fur farmers. Every student has worked closely with one fur farmer and other sponsors. The students have been listening to the fur farmers wishes, desires, ideas and visions. Each student both designed and manufactured products with individualism. Themes chosen by the students were various from Finnish, Russian or Japanese traditions to protective hero, army and knights as well as energetic fruits.

Three of the students participating this project were exchange students from our co-operative universities Haute Ecole Fransisco Ferrer in Brussels and from HELMO in Liege.

FutureFURstudio
Starting from autumn 2011 COU has started a new FutureFURstudio –project, which arrangesshort, intensive modules in English, offers design services and workshops for designers and companies. The aim of the project is to offer inspiration and knowledge for the designers,professionals and students.

More information about the project: www.cou.fi/futurefurstudio.

Fur –The Pearl in our Oyster-collection is being presented at Le Cuir a Paris 20th-22nd
September 2011 at stand G52!

Department of Fur DesignKoulukatu
25-27, 68600 Pietarsaari
FINLAND
Mobile : Project Manager Pia Blomström + 358 50 3368746
Project Assistant Mari Niva +358 400 192531
e-mail: pia.blomstrom@cou.fiwww.cou.fi/futurefurstudio

Click here to download the full story of FutureFURstudio-project

Vermin fur ban defies logic

9/14/2011 11:48:22 AM

Weekly Times Now Editorial

THE absurdity of the extremist animal rights argument has never been clearer. Last week, an item of clothing that featured wild rabbit fur was banned from a major fashion show - for fear of offending animal rights campaigners. Is there a better example of the tail wagging the dog? We think not.

Young Wimmera designer Molly Herben must feel confused after the City of Melbourne pulled her rabbit-inspired design from Melbourne Spring Fashion Week. Her crime was to use vermin rabbit hunted on a farm near her home town of Yaapeet. This is the same rabbit that causes untold damage to the environment, stealing vegetation that would otherwise feed native animals. The same pest the Victorian Government fines farmers for failing to eradicate. If there was ever a win-win case, then surely Molly's rabbit-inspired design was it. She showed how designers can use this pest to make sustainable clothing. But People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' simplistic argument that all fur is bad fails to take into account the many factors surrounding vermin.

The Weekly Times believes Molly deserves plaudits for her efforts, not punishment - which is exactly what Melbourne Mayor Robert Doyle and his fellow councillors have done by banning her work. Mr Doyle should have stood up to these extremists. He feared a repeat of a stage invasion by PETA that occurred earlier in the festival. Instead, he sent a message to PETA and its fellow ratbag groups that they can dictate terms by staging these woeful protests.

Farmers will surely roll their eyes over this latest episode. The wool industry has struggled to work out how best to deal with a group that fails to deal with facts as to why farmers mules - to save sheep from agonising fly strike. There have been two victims from last week's events - Molly Herben and common sense. And one winner - the rabbit, which will continue its destructive ways knowing some silly humans believe it deserves protection.

Legends of the fall

9/8/2011 9:59:34 AM

Eva Friede, The Gazette

Gucci goes for all-out glam with python, fur, fedora and a cacophony of clashing colours.
Photograph by: CHRISTOPHE SIMON AFP, GETTY IMAGES, The Gazette

IN THE FASHION DANCE OF THE DECADES, DESIGNERS ARE REIMAGINING THE 1970S. FLOPPY HATS AND ARTSY CROCHET SHARE THE SPOTLIGHT WITH THE ERA'S GLAMOURAMA. EVA FRIEDE REPORTS.

FASHION TIME MACHINE IS TAKING US TO THE ‘70s

I recently came across a vintage dusty rose metallic crochet dress in the recesses of an armoire. It is from my aunt, circa 1970, probably. It is perfectly in tune with the wave of '70s styles sweeping the fashion world.

There is crochet at French Connection in a cream confection of doilies making a charming shift dress. Crochet sweaters abound, too, in the fast-fashion emporiums of downtown. And Denis Gagnon layered bubblegum pink knits over chiffon and tulle. Rodarte used cream metallic crochet in an A-line dress. The crochet morphs to marvellous lace at Vionnet, Erdem (remember Duchess Catherine in Montreal) and Carven, among others. (I have a black lace dress from Betsey Johnson, circa 1980s, remarkably similar to the Vionnet.)

The decades dance has been dogging us for ages. One season, '50s poodle skirts are the rage. The next, '60s mod. Then came the aggressive '80s, a reworking of the '40s, by the way, with those nasty broad shoulders à la Joan Crawford. Now, we're looking at the two sides of the '90s, gritty grunge and sleek minimalism. And all of this all at once.

But it is every aspect of the 1970s that is having its heyday this fall. Flower power and floppy hats of the late peace-love era share the spotlight with the soignée pantsuits of Yves Saint Laurent.

Chubby chartreuse fur, anyone? Look no farther than Gucci, which went for full-on decadence in mixes of fur, python and jeweltoned silk. Furs in aqua and pink, purple and blinding white also showed up on the catwalks, at Missoni, Armani, Prabal Gurung and Yves Saint Laurent, among others.

Editors and retailers everywhere are pushing the wide-legged flare pant. (Teens are sticking to their jeggings.)

Python appeared, in full coats and jumpsuits at Chloé, and as accents at Dries Van Noten and Prada. And when Prada does it - in caps, clutches and boots - the world follows. The python print has even spread to pyjama pants at BCBG.

The colour palette is disturbing, too. Rust, burnt orange, cinnamon, ochre, mustard - a hue that will complement few complexions - and sienna are burning bright. Enter H&M and you cannot miss it: from the henna leathers (quite luxe, actually) to $10 ruched T-shirts in brick. There are tights in mustard and a horse-print rust shirt dress in silk. Le Château has mustard Ts, Lanvin has black silk skirts with giant mustard rosettes, and Miu Miu has a boxy mustard '40sinspired frock.

But the standout item in the colour palette is bright orange, with the minimalist coat, as shown by Céline in Paris, making every hit list. Prada, Burberry and Yigal Azrouel also showed orange coats. In Montreal, Marie Saint Pierre punched up her menswear-inspired collection with a peaked-shoulder tangerine topper. And Joe Fresh Style has a neoprene version coming in October or November.

Like the colour, but not for a coat? Jacob has a juicy cardigan. Montreal's Sabrina Barilà picked up on the '70s mood, showing pantsuits in dusty rose or brick, lace jumpsuits and tunics in taupe and ultrasuede rust dresses, all topped with floppy hats or fedoras.

"I've always loved the '70s. It just felt right,'' she said, explaining she wanted colour in unexpected combinations like mustard and burgundy, and velvety, fuzzy textures.

Barilà likes the pantsuit for fall, and says she has a nice burgundy version.

Born in 1977, Barilà suggested that people are drawn to their early influences. "You'd be surprised what I was doing at 4.

" Her style icon is Bianca Jagger, who she says has married the two sides of the decade well. We love Jagger in her white tuxedo, but not so much in her drapey disco decadence.

Joshua Fagan, of the Westmount boutique Joshua-DAVID, also likes the 1970s, but reinterpreted. "Our client has been there, done that, but she wants to stay on trend.

" He notes that last year's camel craze has travelled the spice route, with the augmentation of jewel and earth tones. The proliferation of prints is fine and well, but his client will wear it in small doses, like a pretty print blouse. And, he declared: "The long sleeve is the new sexy." A long-sleeved rust Diane Von Furstenberg frock is his pick for the season.

Designer Denis Gagnon was into layers for fall in a manner he suggested was androgynous. Topping it all off were parkas embellished with fur or tulle, in what he considers the piece for fall. "I wanted something warm because it is cold."

efriede@ montrealgazette.com

SHOPPING LISTS

Flare magazine: In its first special report trend edition, it lists its top nine: the peplum, the lace dress, jumpsuit, sheer skirt, varsity jacket, utility coat, boxy T, ski sweater, cape.

The New York Times's Cathy Horyn offers five ideas: a turtleneck, Theory's loose corduroy pants, a subversive pump, Burberry's mod coat, a knee-length 1940s-chic Miu Miu dress.

Holt Renfrew's Barbara Atkin, vice-president of fashion direction, has a long list: a maxi coat, cocoon coat, cape, oversize boyfriend blazer, longsleeve bow blouse, full pant, long straight skirt, long-sleeve sheath dress, suit, fur-trapper hat, fedora, fur stole in a colour or natural, coloured bag, clutch, stack heel high boot, slim ankle boot, ladylike pump, work boot.

Yours truly: I'm craving a clutch with a big bow, and I don't know why. Really great tailored pants, longer skirts (although when I buy them, I never wear them), day dresses with long sleeves. There is no way I will wear that old '70s vintage crochet dress - ever. Ultra-suede? Never, even though it has been reengineered quite luxuriously. I have been there and done that.

Fabulous in Fur by Stefano Pilati for Yves St-Laurent
Photograoh by: Patrick Kovarik, AFP/Getty

TRENDWATCH: EARTH TONES, POLKA DOTS, FURS, LACE – AND COMBAT BOOTS

Rust assured: The colour palette is A-list autumn: earth tones with mixes like mustard and brick, burgundy and brown. Jolts of brights like green and orange.

Prints of the city: Florals, polka dots, plaids, graphics and digital doctorings, sometimes all mixed together.

Fuzzy was she: It was fur for all on the catwalks, in big foxy textures both faux and real. Crazy colours for those with questionable taste and/or a budget for novelty.

Laced: The black lace dress will go far this fall, but colours abound, too.

Menswear: You can't go wrong with a crisp white shirt, tailored trousers, tuxedo, brogues or the fedora.

Details: Combat boots, stack-heeled loafers, python, peplums, hats.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

Harricana propose un printemps au poil

9/7/2011 2:44:43 PM

Geneviève Vézina-Montplaisir, Jounal Métro

Steeve Duguay

Mariouche a présenté sa collection printemps/été 2012 sur des mannequins, dans son atelier-boutique de la rue Saint-Antoine.

C’était une journée de premières mardi pour la designer d’Harricana, Mariouche. Non seulement cette dernière procédait à l’inauguration de l’Économusée de la création de mode dans son atelier-boutique de la rue Saint-Antoine, mais elle levait également le voile sur les pièces de sa collection printemps/été 2012, lançant du coup la 21e Semaine de mode de Montréal.

Autre première, la créatrice de mode a profité de la présentation de cette nouvelle collection pour mettre de l’avant une technique de coupe des fourrures recyclées. Celles-ci, qui ont fait la renommée de la marque, ont été rasées à 5 mm, ce qui permet à la designer d’utiliser des fourrures à poil long qui seraient trop usées pour rester telles quelles. On aime l’effet tout doux et léger que l’on retrouve sur plusieurs sacs à franges et sur quelques foulards au look bandana!

Pour le printemps et l’été, la femme Harricana porte également des vestes et des kimonos un brin masculins, conçus avec d’anciennes chemises pour hommes. Elle arbore aussi les classiques des collections hivernales de la ligne, notamment le casque aviateur.

Celui-ci perd cependant son poil pour les beaux jours. L’influence des habits traditionnels amérindiens sont également toujours à l’honneur avec de jolis mocassins, de mignonnes besaces et des sacs baluchons en cuir ou en suède.

Un des musts de cette collection? Les accessoires détachables. On craque pour la queue de coyote qu’on peut accrocher partout et que Mariouche a sauvé des sites d’enfouissement. On aime aussi les colliers en bois de cerf laqués, fabriqués avec des bois trouvés en forêt. Encore une fois, Harricana réinvente les accessoires de fourrure et de cuir!

www.journalmetro.com

Sandy Parker's report

9/6/2011 11:53:02 AM

Luxury sales : Tiffany & Co. reported a 30% increase in net income for the second quarter propelled by strong sales gains in North America, Europe and Asia. The company earned $90 million in the quarter, or 69 cents a share, and now predicts full-year earnings of at least $3.65 a share. Chief executive Michael J. Kowalski said the company’s firsthalf performance raised confidence about the rest of the year, even though economic uncertainties remained. The best performance in the latest quarter was in the Asia-Pacific region, up 55%, followed by Europe, up 32%, and the Americas, up 25%. Even Japan, despite the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear scare, posted a 21% sales increase.

From Sandy Parker's reports
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Fall campaigns 2011: Louis Vuitton

9/6/2011 11:42:30 AM

Alice, A Touch Of Luxe

I just can’t stop looking at these sublime pictures. The combination of textures are absolutely stunning: purple shearling, jade patent leather, lacquered python.. exactly what the Louis Vuitton girl would wear to travel.

As Marc Jacobs explained, the fetish influence of this collection came from a conversation with LVMH’s Bernard Arnault about women’s “inexplicable obsession with bags. And that got us started thinking about passions, and any of the disciplines that require effort and work and commitment.”

I always knew I was a Vuitton girl!

Peter Pan collars for a sexy French maid look

A vibrant mustard color tote

A private chauffeur, yes please! (5 vintage cars were used for this shoot!)

The Lockit clutch (with a diamond handcuff)

Shot by Steven Meisel, starring Zuzanna Bijoch, Gertrud Hegelund, Daphne Groeneveld and Anais Pouliot.

Sandy Parker's report

9/6/2011 11:34:04 AM

Sales so far have been mainly in jackets and smaller item like hats and other accessories. Sheared mink, pieced mink and shearling are cited as among the most active. The service business, which accounts for an important part of retailers’ traffic at this time – and also results in impulse purchases – is spotty, ahead in some cases and down in others. Both situations are blamed on the economy: Customers cutting expenses by not storing or cleaning their furs, with others prolonging the life of their garments by repairs and restyling. One retailer in the Northwest cited remodeling jobs for women who had lost weight and went down in size, one from an 18 to a 12 and another from a 12 to an incredible 2.

From Sandy Parker's reports
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NAFA’s Russian and Kazakhstan Market Visits Update

9/6/2011 11:23:46 AM

Bobby Poulios, NAFA

A whirlwind tour of Russia and Kazakhstan to promote NAFA’s high quality furs to key industry buyers has, once again, revealed that fur remains a coveted item for Russians – their love affair with fur is as strong as ever.

During the week of August 17th – 24th, NAFA’s V.P. of Buyer Relations, Bobby Poulios and Oksana Moroz, NAFA’s Marketing Director for Eastern Europe, visited Moscow, Russia and Almaty, Kazakhstan to meet new people and renew existing relationships with buyers and manufacturers. The excursion began at the Chapeau fair in Moscow. NAFA representatives were on hand to answer all fur related questions as well as explain how one can attend NAFA sales in Toronto.

On display were some of the latest fur techniques, which was especially interesting for technicians and production managers of fur garment manufacturing companies as well as accessory makers and designers.

Organizers say over 4,000 people visited the 4 day fair which indicates that the interest in fur remains strong. Retailers and manufacturers are reporting that inventories from last year have been depleted and there is a desire to replenish stock. Black NAFA remains in high demand, along with blue iris, pastel and mahogany. Many buyers welcomed the new enhanced label program, remarking that the new label adds value to NAFA furs. There is also a greater interest for wild fur including raccoon, beaver, coyote and fisher.

Following last year’s successful program, NAFA once again offered a special award to the designer whose competitive collection at Chapeau 2011 best defines the beauty of North American furs. The winner received an all expense paid trip to Studio NAFA in Toronto. The designer of NAFA Northern Wild Fur collection, Leon Elite of Moscow was this year’s recipient of the award.

“Le Show” was a three day fur and leather fair held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. NAFA’s presence proved to be beneficial as Kazakhstan has enormous potential for luxury made garments. A strong retail environment exists in Kazakhstan where upscale fur boutiques carry designer brands like Nica Ricci, Ferre and Black NAFA. The local economy in Almaty and surrounding areas is improving and there is a general consensus that there will be a renewed interest in luxury fur in the very near future.

www.nafa.ca

Sandy Parker's report

9/6/2011 11:14:04 AM

A spot check of key areas around the country last week generally turned up satisfactory reports. Although August is no longer the important month it used to be, retailers are taking such results as “okay” as a positive sign in an otherwise clouded economic situation. Their season doesn’t really get under way for another two months, but the early indications they get from their clienteles are that they are still willing to spend on what they like. Prices, while substantially higher than a year ago, so far have not resulted in any more resistance than in previous years. With their customers confronted almost daily by price increases in food, fuel and other basics, some rationalize, higher fur prices should be no surprise and no greater obstacle for their clients.

From Sandy Parker's reports
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Velour Mink Lashes

9/1/2011 9:37:47 AM

Infur magasine

Once regarded as being the most expensive and luxurious of all false eyelashes, Velour Mink Lashes (www.velourlashes.com) is becoming the hottest trend in the beauty industry and is quickly replacing synthetic lashes as the must-have accessory in any girl’s repertoire. Often associated with A-list celebrities, mink is simply the best of the best when it comes to false lashes. Mabel and Angela, two best friends and business-savvy founders, has introduced a super luxurious and alluring line of reasonably priced mink lashes that will allow anyone to look and feel red carpet ready.

Velour Lashes are made up of 100% natural mink hair which have been gently brushed and sterilized to ensure that they are hypo-allergenic. Unlike synthetic lashes, these (cruelty-free) 100% natural mink lashes is free from any sort of chemical processing and dye which allows for an extremely soft, lightweight, and natural look even compared to eyelash extension. The quality and feel of Velour Lashes truly surpasses that of synthetic lashes - not only does it look and feel amazing but with proper care these lashes allow for use up to 25 times!

Aside from the product, their customers have been raving about their super friendly and personal customer service - these girls truly know how to make your shopping experience unforgettable! Velourlashes.com offers a small, but all encompassing, line of mink lashes that will help you achieve your desired look! Velour Lashes is in the process of launching an exclusive Makeup Artist Program, so stay tuned!

“At Velour, our goal is to make every woman feel that extra bit of beauty, confidence, and ‘oomph!’” – Mabel and Angela.

www.infurmag.com

The Timeless Elegance of Black

8/31/2011 11:56:06 AM

NAFA

In the world of fashion, black has always held a place of distinction, be it Dior’s little black cocktail dress, Armani’s androgynous black boardroom suit or Chanel’s iconic black quilted handbag. In the world of fur, black mink is the most popular of all furs […]

Each year NAFA invites a designer to create a very unique garment in Black NAFA to serve as the signature piece of their international marketing campaign. For 2011, Zhang Zhifeng of China’s most exclusive fur design house, NE Tiger, was selected for this honor. Mr. Zhang enthusiastically accepted the request and noted, “Black NAFA has always been one of my favorite furs for design. The soft, silky touch and luxurious texture make it a designer’s dream fabric.” His floor-sweeping gown in Black NAFA is jewel encrusted and sensuously body hugging. The focal point however, is a stunning silk embroidery that delicately relates a story of Chinese mythology.

nafa.ca

Sandy Parker's report

8/31/2011 11:42:39 AM

Imports of fur apparel into U.S. rose in may, but the increase was almost entirely in items other than mink, a reflection of how retailers are dealing with soaring mink prices.

Total imports from all sources amounted to $8.8 million, an increase of 18% over a year ago. This consisted of $3.9 million in mink apparel, a gain of 2%, and $4.9 million in other furs, an advance of 34%. This brought the total for the first five months to just over $22 million, up 2% over the same period last year. The mink portion was down 10% at $10.6 million, but other furs were ahead 16% at $11.5 million.

From Sandy Parker's reports
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Joint forces against violent animal rights extremists

8/31/2011 11:23:51 AM

Infur magazine

The phenomenon of increased violence committed by some extremists in thename of animal rights is a growing cause for concern. In a major conferenceorganised by Europol and Eurojust 58 experts from law enforcement andprosecution authorities, plus representatives from 35 private sectororganisations, met last week at Europol’s new headquarters in The Hague todiscuss the issues behind this new trend.

While the defence of the rights of animals and their welfare is legitimate and fullysupported by European Union institutions, the increase in violence by extremists remainsa concern for all of the conference participants. An example is the increased use ofImprovised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and Improvised Incendiary Devices (IIDs).

Violent animal rights extremists do not hesitate in sending threatening emails or makingwarning phone calls to their targets, often intimidating their family and committingphysical assaults on their property, in so-called home visits. This has resulted in arsonattacks on cars and property. Single-issue extremist groups are also actively targetingthe fur and pharmaceutical industries. This has included the mass release of animals andthe destruction of feeding and water installations for the animals. Another tendency isthat single-issue extremist groups (including anarchist groups) are supporting eachothers’ causes more and more.

"We are concerned by the increasing levels of violence used by animal rights extremistsand their tendency to collaborate with other extremists in society. Europol is committedto helping law enforcement authorities in the EU and partners in industry to prevent thefurther spread of this activity. The conference at Europol's new headquarters was animportant milestone in these efforts." says Rob Wainwright, Director of Europol.

Together with a tactical meeting held at Eurojust in April 2011 on the same topic, theconference clearly identified the need for a wider exchange of information to provide theMember States’ authorities with a clear picture of ongoing criminal activities. There is atendency to underestimate the importance of the phenomenon and of the links betweencriminal actions committed in different countries. Forensic analysis clearly demonstratesthat some attacks committed in the EU have used the same modus operandi and that thedevices used are similarly manufactured.

From the context of the conference, it became obvious that the violent criminal activitiesare often orchestrated at an international level.

To this end, a need for increased lawenforcement coordination at an international level was identified, as well as moreawareness on a local police and judicial level.

The conference recommendations include:

• Encouraging Member States’ authorities to prevent and fight all forms of violentcriminal extremism and developing, at an EU level, a renewed dialogue on animalprotection and animal welfare to allow all concerned parties to express their needsand concerns in a democratic way
• Exploring the possibility of sharing technical data with the relevant parts of thecorporate security community and their branch organisations, respecting the dataprotection regulations within Europol and Eurojust’s existing legal frameworks
• Developing a common strategy with the corporate security community to furthercooperation between EU institutions and the relevant parts of the private sector.

The above recommendations were supported by a conclusion that called for increasedinformation exchange with Europol and Eurojust on attacks, prosecutions and convictionsin animal rights extremism cases. This will lead to the identification of good practice,increased sharing of experience and ultimately a more efficient and coordinated approachin tackling the phenomenon.

Europol and Eurojust are currently supporting ongoing enquiries in a number of MemberStates that are linked to crimes committed in the name of animal welfare.

For more information:
EUROJUST - Mr Joannes THUY
Press Officer & Spokesperson
Tel +31 70 412 5508

E-mail: jthuy@eurojust.europa.eu
http://www.eurojust.europa.eu/press_releases/2011/18-07-2011.htm

infurmagazine.com

Sandy Parker's report

8/31/2011 11:08:09 AM

According to a leading credit card company and other research organizations, stores catering to higher-end clienteles have shown greater sales gains this year – at regular prices – than middle- and low-end stores that were largely dependent on markdowns for their increases. Among the examples cited were LMVH, which owns such brands as Louis Vuitton and Givenchy, reporting sales gains of 13% to $14.9 billion in the first six months. The owner of Gucci, YSL and other luxury labels reported a 23% gain in the first half. Profits also rose by double digits. So it seemed reasonable to expect a good fur season this fall.

From Sandy Parker's reports
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Sandy Parker's report

8/30/2011 2:53:57 PM

Although mainly devoted to headwear, it is described as the largest and most prominent fur fair in Russia. The ninth annual version, it featured nearly 290 exhibitors,including about 35 fur traders. The four-day event at the Gostiny Dvor, open to the trade andpublic, drew about 15% more visitors than last year and business was said to be active fromopening day. According to Saga, a perennial participant, fox held its ground as the most popular headwear material. This included such techniques used in garments as strips of fursewn into fabric. The fair also featured fur garments, accessories, raw materials and equipment.

From Sandy Parker's reports
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Fur comes in from the cold

8/30/2011 2:29:55 PM

Infur magazine

After decades of fur being out in the cold, the runways of Milan, Paris and New York are now lined with fox, rabbit and mink.

The fear of being targeted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals still exists and many designers still go to pains to point out their faux fur ranges, but celebrities and luxury labels are becoming increasingly brazen about their passion for pelts. Look no further than singer Beyonce Knowles, styled in a fox-fur stole by cult French designer Alexandre Vauthier for the fold-out cover of her latest album 4. Then there's Rihanna, flaunting a colorful Prada fur stole in her S&M music video.

Fur is clearly no longer restricted to matrons and opera opening-night attendees. This comeback is rising from the street and red carpet with style-setters such as Kate Moss, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Rachel Zoe, Carine Roitfeld, Anna Dello Russo, Emmanuelle Alt and Abbey Lee Kershaw wearing fur.

Edgy labels such as Isabel Marant, Altuzarra and Australia's Scanlan & Theodore are giving street credibility to fur and finally severing its cultural ties with 1980s ostentation.

"One possible reason for the comeback is that fashion is often in polar opposition to the cultural and economic climate," says Amber Long, director of Brisbane's Jean Brown boutique. "In times of economic downturn, such as we have seen in the past few years, the fashion industry's response is to renew the consumers' desire for luxury goods."

Most committed to carrying fur are Burberry, Prada and Gucci, which are testing the local appetite for larger investment pieces. Fur trimmings on accessories, such as bags and shoes, add a touch of glamour to Armani and Louis Vuitton's collections.

With powerful designer brands expanding their retail commitments in Australia by opening larger flagship stores, complete with expanded collections, the availability of designer fur is set to increase.

"Designers now think about their ranges globally and so whatever you can buy in Russia or London you should be able to buy locally," one leading luxury group's PR says. She did not wish to be named for fear of reprisals from fur protesters.

"Pieces must travel and there will be customers in any part of the world who are buying for their market. It's that idea of having the offering available in any store because people move around now and are travelling so much more."

With its rainbow hued spring-summer 2011 collection, Prada turned fur into a show stopper. Gucci quickly followed, presenting 70s-styled, jewel-toned furs on the runway for its autumn-winter 2011 range.

"I think it's interesting to see how Prada and Gucci have shown fur in their recent collections, almost like costume jewellery," says Tracy Baker, PR director of Baker Brands whose clients include Westfield Sydney, home of Prada and Gucci's new flagship stores.

A fashion and luxury veteran, Baker was slammed by the media in 2004 for wearing a Gucci fur jacket to a Myer event she had organised. Baker says fur's big comeback reflects consumers' confidence about breaking rules.

"Emotionally, there is something decadent and slightly forbidden about fur that makes the experience of wearing it very luxurious," Baker says. Fur's revival is also fuelled by the growth of markets where a love of sable and chinchilla outweighs PETA's protests.

The global fur industry is worth an estimated $15.7 billion annually and is growing.

"When China and Russia, two countries with a deep historical attachment to fur and none of the Western squeamishness, and a taste for conspicuous consumption, become luxury brands' major growth markets, it's no surprise that pelts appear back on the runway," says John Matthews, Loop Branding's consumer and cultural expert. For luxury brands, fur is one of the few textiles that sells internationally and is no longer dictated by weather, time zone or language.

At Australian Fashion Week this year, fur looks were spotted but, as Long observes, fashionistas wore flexible pieces rather than full-length numbers. "Caplets and vests, stoles and bags are a more practical, climate-appropriate interpretation of the trend," she says.

It's a substantial consumer shift since 1994 when five famous supermodels posed naked across a defiant banner reading "We'd rather go naked than wear fur".

Today PETA still takes comfort in a select group of designers, led by Stella McCartney, who refuse to use fur. "More and more designers are pledging not to use fur including Camilla Franks, Ginger & Smart, One Teaspoon, Alannah Hill, Fleur Wood, High Tea, Justin Davis, Nicola Finetti and Joveeba," says Ashley Fruno, senior campaigner for PETA Asia-Pacific.

Let's not forget fashion can be fickle. One of those supermodels in the 1994 poster was Naomi Campbell, who was back on the runway for Fendi in 1997 wearing a full-length fur coat. Designers can change their minds, too.

Photo: Buberry joins the fur revival

NAFA Takes to the Stage at NTA Convention

8/30/2011 2:13:25 PM

Infur magazine

The annual National Trappers’ Association convention was held in Columbia, Missouri from August 4th -7th, 2011 at the Boone County Fairgrounds. The wild fur division of NAFA has been a long time supporter of this event and is the largest exhibiter within the group.

This year, Diane Benedetti, VP of Advertising and Promotion, joined the WFSC Directors in the planning and staging of a mini fashion show and marketing presentation. A selection of garments from the Northern Lights Collection along with a sampling of high fashion garments from international designers were featured in the three mini shows presented on Friday and Saturday.

Special guest models included Ms. Sydney Friar, Miss Missouri 2011 and Ms. McKensie Garber, Miss Missouri Outstanding Teen 2011. Their appearance extended to a photo opportunity that was enjoyed by many.

Doug Lawson, CFO at NAFA, was on hand as well to give a pre-show welcome to visitors. He also experienced the wild fur demonstrations held in the outdoor tents. These technical presentations were led by Brian Macmillan and Dave Bewick, VPs of NAFA’s Wild Fur Operations in the US and Canada, respectively, and supported by NAFA’s team of wild fur agents who are trappers themselves.

In spite of the temperatures ranging from 90-100 F. /30-35 C., over 3,000 visitors attended this four day event. There is no doubt that the trapping community is a dedicated group and excels in extreme conditions.

www.infurmag.com

Bruce Lee fur-lined coat sold at Hong Kong auction

8/30/2011 1:45:47 PM

Infur Magazine

Bruce Lee last wore the fur-lined coat shortly before his death in 1973. A fur-lined coat once owned by martial arts film star Bruce Lee has sold at auction in Hong Kong for almost nine times the expected price. It was bought by a US couple for HK$600,000 (US$77,000; £47,000). The coat was worn by Lee in 1973 for the filming of Game of Death - which remained unfinished as Lee died later that year at the age of 32.

Twelve other items, including a letter and a name-card, also went under the hammer, raising a total of HK$1.7m. The items were all being sold by a private collector in what was the largest-ever auction of Bruce Lee memorabilia. The coat was worn by Lee for pre-publicity photo shoots and to the Hong Kong premiere of his best-known film, Enter the Dragon, shortly before his death. Silvana and Greg Manning, the US couple who won the auction, said it was "a unique item and a memorabilia for an iconic figure". 'Challenge the unlimited' "Bruce Lee is worldwide recognized as one of the most important people in the martial arts field," Reuter’s news agency quoted Mr. Manning as saying. "He really pioneered the film genre and we respect him as a human being and a person for his work and his art and for what he did." A two-page letter Lee wrote to his friend Taky Kimura in 1966, in which he talked about filming his TV show The Green Hornet, sold for HK$40,000. Albert Wong, a Hong Kong businessman who bought several items, said Lee had taught him to "challenge the unlimited". "He also tried his best to search for excellence," Mr. Wong told reporters. Bruce Lee is widely considered to have been one of the greatest martial arts stars and is credited with bringing Kung Fu into the mainstream. He remains hugely popular especially in Hong Kong, where he grew up before moving to the US.

www.infurmag.com

Janet Jackson Returns as Blackglama 'Legend'

8/30/2011 12:16:12 PM

Efurmedia.com

New York, NY, August 24, 2011
Janet Jackson is announced as first legend to be featured for the second consecutive year in Blackglama’s renowned “What Becomes A Legend Most?” campaign.

Blackglama is pleased to announce that Janet Jackson will be the first legend to be featured for the second year consecutively in the brand’s iconic “What Becomes a Legend Most?” advertising campaign.

“It became clear in our discussions of who the Legend should be this year, that continuing the momentum with Janet made complete sense,” says Joe Morelli, CEO of Blackglama. “She embodies glamour, luxury and sophistication, everything that Blackglama stands for.”

Unquestionably a legend in the world of entertainment, Janet Jackson’s albums, including Control, janet, All For You and Number Ones, have sold over 100 million copies worldwide and her most recent “JANET JACKSON Number Ones; Up Close And Personal” World Tour broke box office records making her one of the best-selling female artists of all time. She is the only recording artist to have Grammy™ nominations spanning the categories Dance, Pop, Rap, Rock and R&B. Janet is also an accomplished actress, with starring roles in television and film including Poetic Justice, Nutty Professor, Why Did I Get Married?, Why Did I Get Married Too? and For Colored Girls.

Last year’s campaign thrust Janet Jackson amongst some of the world’s most legendary entertainers who have starred in the popular Blackglama “What Becomes a Legend Most?” campaign. The initiative was revived by noted advertising agency Laspata DeCaro, and ads were photographed by Rocco Laspata.

“The primary difference is that the initial campaigns were focused on a singular image – a legend and a coat,” says Charles DeCaro. “Our recent branding iterations have evolved imparting a distinct fashion sensibility. Multiple images showcase innovative designs and the relevant multi-faceted ways Blackglama – as a product – can be appropriated.”

Check out the video for a behind-the-scenes look at Janet's upcoming Blackglama ad!

The first ad debuts in the September issue of W Magazine.

International Fur Fashion Events
By EFURMEDIA, August 25, 2011

Fur tips: Fur Labeling

8/29/2011 3:22:13 PM

Alice, A Touch of Luxe Blog

Fall is slowly creeping in and I am getting excited about my to-buy list: chic pants, knits, light jackets and boots and fur-trimmed everything!

Michael Kors and Gucci, the epitome of effortlessly chic

It’s no secret that fur is one of the strongest trends for Fall and Winter and maybe you are planning on buying something furry this year. With the wide variety of choices (fur types, colors, combinations), don’t forget to take into consideration one of the most important facts: the origin of your fur.

I think it’s important to be well informed when it comes to fur, so here is some background information about fur labeling in North America.

In the USA, all fur apparel must have a label that specifies:

the type of fur
the origin of the fur
Where the apparel was manufactured
Whether the fur is natural or dyed

In Canada, there are no requirements about exactly what information must be listed on a fur apparel tag, but reputable fur salons will always identify the type of fur, and will also provide other useful information. Even if you are not planning to buy a full fur garment, it’s still worth your time to visit a specialized boutique. Most of them carry fur-trimmed outerwear including leather, wool and textile coats. For a complete list of fur boutiques that are members of the Retail Fur Council of Canada, click here.

The Fur Council of Canada (the national industry association with representatives from all sectors of the trade) is proposing that Canadian retailers begin listing the same information as in the USA. The Beautifully Canadian label was launched in 2002, and assures that the garment or accessory that carries the label was designed, cut and sewn in Canada, using high quality Canadian furs.

And of course, under provisions of the Competition Act (administered by the federal Competition Bureau) any information listed on fur tags or labels must be accurate.

There is so many labels and information to know about fur labeling that I can’t write it all in this single post. I will review some other important fur quality labels in upcoming posts.

Backstage pictures Vogue.com

Fortunate Encounters

7/6/2011 4:24:59 PM

Shaty, A Touch of Luxe

What a blessing, a friend and I avoided a major car accident and still managed to meet with my fairy godmother to remodel my fur coat! No worries folks, my friend and I made it without a scratch as we arrived an hour later at Samuel Fur shop in Laval! I was finally going to meet the great Martin Faucher, an instructor in the fur department at College Marie-Victorin. There was no doubt in my heart that our encounter was going to be the beginning of something special.

As we stood in front of the store, emotions were running high, sweat was dripping down my forehead and my pulse began to speed up. I was so excited about meeting one of Montreal’s most reputed fur designers. Although I looked like a mess I kept my cool, switched my flats for heels and we walked inside.

With a warm welcome, Martin Faucher gave us a tour of his boutique and workshop. Also, he shared some of his most memorable experiences in the world of fur business. With a single touch he was able to determine my raccoon coat’s condition. To my surprise, Martin mentioned that my well kept fur coat had another twenty-five years life span. He explained the elasticity of the fur and its craftsmanship limitations. Martin quickly dismissed the patch work technique applied in some model ideas I had for my coat. His reason for this was that both techniques were not compatible, mine was a letting out work.

Although my bubble was burst for a moment, he found solutions to compensate for my petite stature and curvy silhouette. We closely examined how sheared fur around the waist line better defines my body shape. When used wisely this sheared fur technique on long fur sleeves can asthetically create a contrast effect and even sometimes resurface hidden colors from the fur. What caught my attention were leather patches used on waist sides of a coat that can create similar sliming benefits. Hey, anything to avoid looking like a fur ball!

Last but not least, my fabulous fury hood! We discussed it’s volume, oh yeah, I want it huge and fluffy! Martin mentioned that the weight of my hood could become a hazard because the heavier it is, the less it stays put on your head. We concluded that we could make a leather collar to attach the hood to prevent it from falling. Well, well, problem resolved!

As a dedicated designer he was determined to find the right style of coat that would fulfill my desires. Needless to say, that I was the most enthusiastic visitor to try on from a variety of fur coat styles!

see more of this news with photos here.

When a fantasy comes true…

6/30/2011 10:13:54 AM

Shatty, A Touch of Luxe

My great grandmother’s coat will meet today’s fashion and designers– it won’t look bulky and heavy anymore folks! Something significant is going to happen when it’s complete transformation occurs–I will be contributing to my family’s heritage for generations to come. I can only imagine what my daughter is going to say when she sees the coat for the very first time. Hopefully she will say something like” Nice! My mother was hip and had a sense of style!” I would be extremely proud and this adds some pressure to do this right!

There are three characteristics that are going to make this coat a winner– a timeless style, practicality and coverage. When I look at my re-styled coat for the first time I want to say ” Wow! It’s gorgeous, it will make my curvy silhouette look elegant and feminine. My pockets are just the right size for my iPhone and keys! Look at it’s amazing, soft, warm and reversible hood! By the looks of it, it’s going to cover all the right body parts.” I’ll know then and there that it’s transformation was a complete success.

But before any of this can take place we need to address one more issue–who is going to make my fantasy a reality? Who is going to play my fairy godmother and turn a thirty year old fur coat into a wonderful and magical possession? My prayers were answered when I immediately connected with Marie-Victorin’s 2011 Collection. At College Marie-Victorin Gala, I fell in love with the upcoming designer’s fur creations. Make no mistake, a mentor such as Martin Faucher which contributed at the Gala will become an asset for my kind of fairy-tale ending!

Vintage picture of the couple in raccoon coats from here
Runway picture from naffem.com
Abbey Lee picture from FashionGoneRogue.com

PETA’s Unfair Attack on the Fur Industry

6/15/2011 2:57:29 PM

Suzanne, A Touch of Luxe

The fur industry is often targeted unfairly by members of groups like PETA. While PETA is technically against using animals in any way (including keeping them as pets!), they never seem to be as violent towards the meat eating populace as they are fur wearers. In the past, PETA has gone out of their way to interrupt fashion shows, attack designers outside of their stores, and stage gruesome public displays against fur. They usually make the claim that no one should wear fur because it is an excessive luxury and the fur industry is wasteful, capturing the animals only for their fur and not using any other parts.

The argument that the fur indsutry is “wasteful” is completely unfounded. While we may not think of animals like beaver and rabbit as conventional food, many people do consume these animals as a part of their diet. What isn’t consumed by humans is sold to the pet food industry. Mink oil is used in cosmetics, and much of the wild-caught animal carcasses are left in the wilderness, to complete the cycle and become food for scavengers. Fur Is Green has a great video on their site about the mink farms in Denmark. You can view it here, and see for yourself how the animals are treated from life to death, as well as how the rest of the mink is used.

Why would PETA waste so much time on such a small industry? The number of animals harvested annually for the fur industry barely make a dent in our animal consumption as a whole. Out of the animals slaughtered every year in the USA, 9.7 billion animals are used for food, 30 million farmed animals are killed for their fur, and 10 million wild animals are trapped. At a grand total of 40 million fur bearing animals harvested, that’s less than 0.4% of the amount consumed for food. Without even taking into account the millions of animals used in medical research or euthanized, the fur industry is responsible for a shockingly small amount of animal consumption.This makes sense; you probably have a meal containing meat at least once a day. How often do you buy a new fur coat?

Perhaps PETA attacks the fur industry so viciously because they know that most people eat meat and aren’t going to give it up any time soon (barely 3% of the Canada’s population practices vegetarianism, with an even smaller percentage of that number living a vegan lifestyle). Why pick a fight you know you can’t win when it is so easy to prey (excuse the pun) upon the smaller industries?

The USDA has the numbers on the animals slaughtered for food every year.

The US Fur Commission has some great information on the mink industry and its by products.

Unforgettable Moments – My Raccoon Coat

6/10/2011 4:24:32 PM

Shatty, A Touch of Luxe

There I was waiting impatiently for my grandmother to ring the door bell, as if expecting her to arrive with a treasure box. In fact, she was. The treasure was a very special gift, a link to our family’s history in Canada — and what could better represent our family’s migration to this great northern land than… a fur coat!

I got so emotional when my grandmother arrived with a red box; inside was my very own raccoon fur coat! She looked at me, laughed and said, “Dear..this raccoon coat could fit three of you! You look so small in it!

Then, more seriously: “You know, you are continuing a family tradition, because this coat belonged to your GREAT grandmother!” I was astounded; this coat was more than 30 years old — but it was still in very good condition. I begged for her to stay a while longer to tell me the story of how this coat came into our family. So she did.

In 1980, a young Siliezar experienced her first Quebec winter — quite a shock! — and the story of my own life could have been very different if she hadn’t been given this coat. No other gift could compare for a Salvadorian immigrant who was seeing snow for the very first time. If she hadn’t received it, who knows what she might have done? I may have been brought up somewhere else!

And little did she know that, thirty-one years later, this special coat would be warming the heart — and soon the body — of her own great-grand-daughter.

In additon to keeping generations of Siliezars warm, fur coats have an additional attribute: they can be re-cut and re-styled as fashions evolve. To celebrate this latest stop in the voyage of this remarkable raccoon coat, I now intend to remodel it to fit my own personality and style. Coming soon! I will visit Montreal furrier to transform my coat and hopefully I will have some material left to design more accessories!

See more of this article here

The Art of Luxe: Color, Color and more Color!

6/10/2011 4:17:02 PM

Shaty, A Touch of Luxe

Nothing more exciting than a spectacular runway show, when sipping wine and reminiscing about the Naffem VIP tour! I attended the Art of Luxe fashion show which celebrates fur designers such as Paula Lishman, Zuki and young creators sponsored by Kopenhagen Fur. I was seated in the front row, and was immediately submerged by the passionate violinist’s performance. This musical piece by Dr.Draw was a brilliant way of presenting the craftsmanship we were about to see. Backstage I could tell emotions were running high for last minute preparations when suddenly the bright lights snapped on, the music set the mood and names of designers appeared on a giant LED screen.

As models made their way down the catwalk we could not help but notice the striking contrast between dark furs and the model’s bright outfits. Andy Warhol would of been proud of the outstanding visual influence his Pop Art had over the theme of the show. The interpretation of Warhol’s work (powerful & electric colors) was gracefully translated on Naffem’s runway.

Seeing is believing, this expression comes to mind when gazing upon the magic of a colorful Lishman beaver poncho at the Naffem show. It’s incredible how fur can captivate your senses and make you escape to a world of fantasy were color, fur and glamour are personified. We’ve certainly come a long way from grandmas old fur coat! What would you think about being able to wash your beaver knitted poncho after you’ve worn it? Guess what? You can! In contrast to the typical Mexican urbane poncho, this renewed version is not only glamourous but also practical.

I felt my pulse rise when Zuki runway model walked before me with a sublime flower coat. The contrast of vibrant lilac, blue and red flowers on a soft black fur with fox trim created the perfect miss match. The difference of textures between the fluffy trim and the black shiny body also stood out. My only regret from this experience is that I could not leave the show with one of these magnificent fur coats!

Stay tuned for my discussion with Eddie Maleterre about his inspirations for hair & makeup.

See more of this article here.

NAFFEM – Fur Fashion meets Innovation

5/11/2011 2:43:15 PM

Shatty, A Touch of Luxe

“Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.” Coco Chanel

I was admiring an award winning fur piece displayed at the 2011 Naffem show, when these words resonated in my mind. Comfort and fluffiness seemed to be key characteristics for these students when transforming garments mainly used to keep warm into fashionable items. The amount of talent and creativity exhibited for the public’s enjoyment was surreal. Before me was this beautifully handcrafted white fox coat mixed with a knitted wool pattern which gave it an urban style. Marie-Victorin College students redefined youthful expression through the fur fashion craftsmanship. Every detail meticulously stitched and sewed resulted in endless possibilities for their luxurious creations.

I was given a guided tour of Naffem, one of the most prestigious North American fashion trade shows and I was glad to be surrounded by generations of fur trading traditions. From a novice perspective, I had the pleasure of exploring the various layers behind the fur industry. Our “tour guide”, Tony Jay from www.yourKloset.com, explained the different stages of production that make this a unique industry. The cooperation between trappers, farmers, designers and retailers, creates a premium quality product. Every year the Exibition Hall of Place Bonaventure in Montreal is filled with international manufacturers that display their collections for buyers to see. Naffem is the most anticipated time of the year for buyers to shop for Fall and Winter outerwear that will be sold to fashionistas around the globe.

Innovation is synonym of branded designers such as Zuki, Beautifully Canadian, Kopenhagen Fur, Gliagias and Jean Crisan to name a few. These visionaries not only redefine elegance but have left their blueprint by carefully using different properties of fur. For instance, if we admire the rain coat by Kopenhagen Fur collection, you are immediately seduced by it’s beauty and practicality. Who says you can’t look your best under the rain!

Have you ever seen a girl walk the walk with exquisite Zuki flower mink coat and not get a single tear of excitement? Learn more about who else made the catwalk of the Opening Night Fashion Show in an upcoming post!

To see more :http://www.atouchofluxe.com/2011/05/naffem-fur-fashion-meets-innovation/

NEW FACES, NEW HOPES AT FUR SHOW

5/11/2011 10:08:08 AM

Eva Friede, The Gazette,

A stuffed muskox stood on the floor of Place Bonaventure this week at the Qiviuk booth, part of the annual NAFFEM fur trade show.

The creature drew attention, not only for its bulk and thick, fuzzy coat, but for the wool that is being harvested from the undercoats, a collaboration between Peruvian craftsmanship (think vicuna) and Inuit in the Canadian Arctic. The result is a fabric that is softer and warmer than cashmere, and made into sturdy cable-knit sweaters and scarves as well as exquisitely crocheted sweaters and dresses.

A few of those garments were shown at the gala fashion show Sunday night, a highlight of the threeday trade show that drew more than 150 exhibitors selling to fur buyers from across North America, Russia and Europe.

There were other new players at the fashion show: Montreal coat queen Hilary Radley put her sophisticated touch on mink and Persian pieces like the ultimate vanity coat of sheared grey collarless mink. Another new player was Badgley Mischka, the red-carpet design team, while Montreal furriers like Natural, Kazamias and Zuki (this year's honouree) worked their signature innovation with furs and textures in many colours.

Speaking of colour, the models wore pants and tops in blasts of brilliant colour blocks - emerald, orange, magenta, turquoise - created by the designer Cluc for a hit of in-your-face trendiness.

Fur was flying on the international runways for fall, and that's one of 2½ good things for the industry, according to Alan Herscovici, executive vice-president of the Fur Council of Canada. The other good thing, he says, is the wintry winter in much of Canada and especially the United States, where retailers, still reeling from the recession, cleared inventories and will be stocking up again for next winter.

The half factor is the fact that the U.S. economy has strengthened, although it is still weak, he said.

The fur trade is worth $800 million to the Canadian economy, with $450 million in wholesale exports of pelts and garments, Herscovici points out. World sales were about $14 billion in 2010.

The Russian and Chinese markets are enormous, he said. The fur council cited a $100 million target in sales at NAFFEM, although Herscovici is not sure that will be reached.

"We're small, but we have our place,'' he said.

That place is increasingly in high-quality expensive furs, like the $1 million in "Beautifully Canadian" branded coats sold to just one store in Beijing at the last trade show, Herscovici said.

Another factor that could help the Montreal trade: the cost of mink - which makes up 70 per cent of the world market in fur - is at record levels, and Montreal furriers tend to specialize in wild furs.

"When mink gets to this level, you see more interest in other furs. Wild fur is very much coming back,'' he said. "Our craftspeople in Montreal are really the best with wild fur."

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Style+file/4729627/story.html#ixzz1LWeWuaEj

Is the fur still flying? (not here, it would seem)

4/13/2011 11:32:27 AM

by Malwina Gudowska, Calgary Herald

Amid the heckling, hexing and chanting crowd at this year's CFL Western Conference Final in Calgary were three young Stampeders fans who switched from yelling "Riders suck" to "fur is murder" every time the woman in the full-length fur coat walked past. But nobody else took notice. Was their indifference due to the -20 C temperature, which meant that the woman's coat was probably more of a practical choice than a fashion statement? Or was it indicative of a general indifference to fur? Except for the few inconsequential comments, based more likely on the amusement of these young men than actual anti-fur activism, the woman went to and from her seat unscathed, and would likely have elicited more groans from the crowd if she'd been wearing green.

This represents something of a change from 15 years ago, when there was nothing like the wearing of pelts to spark outrage in supporters of animal rights. In the mid-1990s, the anti-fur movement was declared the No. 1 hip cause on the planet by Britain's Time Out magazine.

That said, a recent Angus Reid Strategies poll for Maclean's asking Canadians to consider a variety of ethical issues, found that we are still more likely to moralize about the treatment of animals than about the lives of other humans. In theory, then, most people are not in favour of fur. But Canadians, if only deep down in the right temporo-parietal junction of our brains said to be responsible for moral judgments, are still at a crossroads when it comes to fur. Because in practice, on the catwalks and the streets, the fur is flying.

Pelts have been slowly inching their way back onto the runways for a few years, but the journey seems to be complete now. In February, the New York Times reported that, for the first time in more than two decades, more than half of all designers were using fur in their Fall 2010 collections.

The return of fur is more than just a reflection of fashion trends. It also testifies to the behind-the-scenes efforts of the fur industry to reach out to designers. In late 2004, Calgary designer Paul Hardy was invited by The North American Fur Auctions (NAFA) to study at the Saga Design Centre in the Danish countryside. "You get a whole other side of the industry once you actually see how reverent the people in that industry are to the craft and the animals themselves," says Hardy, who regularly uses furs in his collections. Saga Furs, a marketing company that represents Scandinavian breeders, has long been courting up-and-coming designers (Alexander Wang and Haider Ackermann were recent participants). NAFA is also known for giving fur to new and established designers so they can experiment and, ideally, include it in a future collection.

For a young fashion designer the opportunity to create all day with costly materials is not something that's easily passed over. When Hardy was a student at Ryerson University School of Fashion in the 1990s, he took a course in fur design. "I remember the teacher coming in and throwing some pelts on the desk and saying, 'Fur, embrace it! If it was good enough for the animal, it's good enough for you,'" he says. Hardy embraced it to an extent; his graduating collection incorporated faux fur because he couldn't afford the real stuff.

At SAGA, Hardy and his fellow Canadian designer Lida Baday discovered that many renowned designers had also spent some time in the Danish countryside. "There is a secret work room there, where they are working on the couture furs for Chanel," he says. "And we found out that before we were there, Marc Jacobs was, Miuccia Prada was, and Karl Lagerfeld."

Initiatives like SAGA on the part of the fur industry come in response to the public bruisings its members endured from PETA in the 1990s. Naomi Campbell famously posed nude in a PETA campaign while declaring that she would rather go naked than wear fur. These days, she fronts a campaign for the luxury furrier Dennis Basso. But this setback doesn't mean that PETA has abandoned the fight. The group's website features highly unsettling footage of animals suffering and being skinned alive.

These videos are disturbing, but PETA hasn't been shocking too many fashionistas in other ways lately. With so much fur on this season's runways, a few tales of fake-blood throwing, frozen raccoons served or a tofu pie in the face seemed likely, but all was quiet on the anti-fur front. According to Style.com's runway reviews, the fall shows closed without a single PETA-sponsored prank, and although there were demonstrations in some American cities on Black Friday (rechristened by PETA Fur-Free Friday), they barely registered on most people's radars. As for ongoing campaigns, there's PETA's "Ink Not Mink," but compared to the 1980s and '90s heyday when the slogan "I'd Rather Go Naked than Wear Fur," was at its prime, it's a tad lacklustre.

"We don't even hear from them (anti-fur activists) anymore," says Grant Ritchie, the president of Benzing Charlebois, a Calgary furrier. "They think they've done their job. They went after the seals... When they got tired of that, they went after abortionists and made them very unpopular, and all of a sudden these people, they got an education and they are no longer doing that... People don't care anymore." Still, Ritchie is quick to point out that Benzing Charlebois has never carried seal coats.

But according to Emily Lavender, Canadian campaigner for PETA, anti-fur activism is very much alive and well. "PETA will always continue to expose the cruelty of fur," she said in a phone interview from Ottawa. "Protests are held all over the world on a daily basis."

Lavender, a 22-year-old Vancouver Island native, began interning with PETA two years ago after watching one of its graphic Internet videos. In our interview she started most of her sentences with, "Animals are not ours to wear...," and she campaigns daily in Ottawa. The media attention around the Vancouver Olympics encouraged her to focus on staging protests against Canada's seal hunt, but no one should question her commitment to the anti-fur campaign. She has sprawled out on sidewalks covered in fake blood in Edmonton and Victoria, dressed up in a seal mascot costume in Newfoundland, and dressed down to just her underwear in Toronto. Last year, she went across Western Canada with a few other PETA members who dressed up in sexy bunny costumes (high heels, underwear, mittens and bunny ears) to raise awareness about the use of rabbit fur. "We have to do something shocking, something outrageous to raise awareness about this serious subject," said Lavender. And she is not conceding the battle to the industry, offering this tart assessment: "[Fur] still remains as popular as a cold sore."

Lavender is right that PETA has succeeded in dimming fur's cachet, but it remains a luxury item with all the allure that brings. Consider its role in my own family history. Born in Poland, I immigrated as a young child to Canada with my parents in 1983, a time when martial law was still in effect. For the past decade, I've often pleaded with my parents and grandparents to tell me stories of how it was back then, and many of those tales, from my paternal side at least, involved fur.

After the Second World War, everything in Poland was nationalized and the centre of fur production moved to Krakow. There were smaller factories in cities like Gdansk and Poznan but Krakow was the hub of fur manufacturing for the entire country. Sheepskins and karakul were locally produced, while mink was imported from Russia.

Karakul hats, made from a specific breed of sheep, were favoured by Soviet leaders like Leonid Brezhnev, who believed that the hats were symbols of their high political status. (Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's president is often photographed wearing one.) Foxes--wild ones were red, farmed were black--were also popular.

Poles themselves had limited access to furs because most of the manufacturing was done for export. During communism, it didn't matter how much money you had, there was nothing to buy, not fur, not bread, not sanitary napkins. The latter I always remember because my mother, a pharmacist, told me that when she did receive an occasional shipment of feminine-hygiene products, she would immediately call all her girlfriends to get to the pharmacy.

Pelts were reserved for the elite, the politicians and their wives. After the war, my grandfather went to work at the head fur-production company in Krakow and eventually became the manager of the design department. Much to my grandmother's dismay, he would bring home visitors from all over who had come to Krakow to learn about fur production. In a small three-bedroom apartment already occupied by my grandparents and their five children, bunk beds would be set up where the boarders would sleep during their stay.

Polish-made furs were high quality and respected throughout Europe, and my grandfather went to Mongolia, Russia, France and Holland for international fur shows. He even hooked up my father and uncle, then both in their early 20s, with well-paying fur-modelling jobs. Having access to furs, my grandfather would often buy at low cost a few extra pelts that he could later sell or offer to those who otherwise wouldn't have access. To be safe, my grandfather stored the furs at the homes of his adult children, my parents included. (As I learned from foreign movies and 007 storylines, at that time you didn't know who was watching--it could even be your neighbour.) I was barely three when he brought over a number of pelts and I started yelling: "Furs, look at all the furs!" My grandfather did not look kindly upon my enthusiasm since the apartment walls were paper-thin, and I was promptly told to be quiet.

Through his ties to the fur industry, my grandfather had access to the political elite without being part of it, and those ties came in handy. When my parents wanted to leave the country during martial law, our passports were arranged through my grandfather's contacts.

Today, the fur trade in North America contributes more than $2 billion annually to the economy ($400 million in exports) according to the International Fur Trade Federation. Fur sales during the 2008-2009 economic downturn remained stable at $13 billion worldwide, with a slight increase over the 2007-2008 figures.

The stampede of pelts that flooded the Fall 2010 runways included collections by Lanvin, Dolce&Gabbana and Yves Saint Laurent. Canadian designers didn't shy away from the furry stuff either: Pink Tartan did fur skirts, Jeremy Laing introduced lightweight fur coats, and Izma, a new collaboration between designer Izzy Camilleri and former Fashion File host Adrian Mainella, is made up entirely of pelts.

"[It's] because Europe wants it," says Benzing Charlebois' Grant Ritchie, who serves as the western representative on the Canadian Fur Council. "Europe is our dictator on fashion; Italy, Germany, Russia is huge, and China now, too, is a huge market and new money.

Ritchie has owned the store at 1005 2nd St. S.W. since 1981 (it was founded in 1938) and carries Canadian designers such as Zuki and queen of knit furs Paula Lishman as well as New York's Paul N Sekas. Soon, Ritchie, who favours a suit and tie, will turn the furrier over to his daughter Tyania. The 35-year-old was wearing jeans, a casual top and a fur scarf on the day we met, and her sights are set on her contemporaries, those who have no compunction about wearing fur but who wouldn't be caught dead in their grandmothers' ankle-length mink coat.

"If your mother or grandmother came into the shop, she'd say, 'Where are all the mink coats? Where's the raccoon, where's the coyote, where's the fox?,' " says her father. "They're all gone."

Today, Benzing Charlebois' coats are mostly lightweight sheared beaver or sheared mink as opposed to long-haired furs. Many of them have laser-cut patterns and embellishments like rhinestones or embroidery. One of the shop's hot items is a laser-cut cowhide fitted three-quarter jacket with a fox-fur collar dyed an iridescent purple.

A large area in the middle of the store is devoted to fur accessories: collars, cuffs, hats and fur-trimmed gloves. "Girls come in with a cloth coat and we'll do a detachable collar or little cuffs--the little pieces that dress up a coat," Tyania says. "Then you can take that collar and put it on another coat." These are affordable alternatives for younger shoppers who don't have the funds for a larger piece. Where fur coats at Benzing Charlebois start at $2,000, a pair of fur-trimmed legwarmers goes for $79. By mid-November, the store had already sold out of its first accessories order.

Dispelling the myth that fur is only for special occasions is another issue Tyania is slowly tackling. "People's lifestyles are changing, and we have more casual fur... not just grandma's old mink coat," she says. "(We) have the opportunity to be able to appease the jean-wearing girl."

The Fur Council of Canada is also reaching out to the jean-wearing girl--she buys organic, sips fair trade, and cares about her carbon footprint--with its Fur is Green campaign. Launched two years ago, the campaign emphasizes that fur is renewable, reusable, durable and recyclable, as opposed to, for example, faux fur, a synthetic material that will eventually end up in the landfill. (A common rebuttal put forth by anti-fur activists is that it takes a lot more resources to make real fur than faux.) The campaign includes a look into sourcing, regulation and what the Fur Institute of Canada calls humane trapping methods, and a review of their strict provincial, national and international regulations. (The Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards can be downloaded from the Government of Canada website.)

The International Fur Trade Federation also launched the Origin Assured (OA) program, which lets consumers know that furs with the OA label come from countries where responsible production standards are in place. One of the fur exporters that does not regulate animal farming is China, and according to Ritchie, it's a country where production will grow exponentially in the next few years. "Often fur from China is mislabelled so a woman could actually be buying a coat made from the kind of dog we share our homes with," says PETA spokesperson Lindsay Rajt.

Although most of the PETA protests nowadays in Canada include just a couple of pretty young things stripped down to their skivvies holding signs, or the odd pie-in-the-face attempt targeted at Prime Minister Stephen Harper (you can now send your own virtual pie via Twitter), credit should still be given where credit is due.

If it weren't for PETA's activism 15 years ago, most of us who grew up in the anti-fur era wouldn't think twice about wearing fur. But we still do. "Fur is like abortion to me in that I'd like to think I'm of one mind, but really I don't know," says one friend. "I love bunnies and so I think that killing them for a coat is sad, but I also have a fur coat from my grandma that I love. I realize that equating it to abortion is weird--I am totally pro-choice but who knows how I would handle it in practice?" (Interestingly, in the Maclean's "What Canadians Really Believe" poll, abortion was considered morally wrong by 22 percent of Canadians while 31 percent admitted to having moral reservations about wearing fur.) The irony, my friend adds, is that whenever she wears her grandmother's fur coat, if anyone asks, she says it's faux.

According to PETA2, the sister organization that targets the youth market, one of PETA's big fashion feats in 2005 was getting retailer J. Crew, after a three-month "vigorous campaign," to confirm that it would no longer sell fur. But five years later, a quick scan of their website reveals a trapper hat crafted from Toscana shearling (a breed of lamb found in Italy) and a Merino shearling shawl collar sweater, among other furry items that have perhaps slipped in over the years. PETA still praises H&M and Forever 21 for adopting fur-free policies, but considering the low price point the retailers are known for, real fur would never sell there so why wouldn't they appease the organization.

Twenty-five years ago in Canada, fur was available in most department stores and the industry wasn't as specialized as it is today. The accessibility resulted in a lower cost, so most young women had the means to buy fur coats for themselves. Nowadays, with a minimum price tag of a couple thousand, anyone who is without substantial resources and wants more than a fur scarf is, moral dilemmas aside, left with two options: go faux or go vintage.

Vintage fur coats at 17th Avenue's Junk Star Vintage start at $250 and wool jackets with fur collars go for about $120. "Most people don't have too many qualms about it [wearing vintage fur]," says owner Katie Lavoie, who has noticed an increase in fur sales this year. These vintage coats seem to provide a guilt-free exception for many consumers who want to wear the real stuff. "More than the money thing, it's about principle," Lavoie says. "It's still a barbaric industry, but for me, I guess, with vintage that animal was already dead." This is a common, if debatable, argument, and perhaps it's just as hypocritical to proclaim you only wear faux.

You'd be hard-pressed to go to any women's clothing store these days--from Jacob and Club Monaco to Gap--without seeing a faux-fur vest on the rack. And there are more faux-fur-trimmed hooded parkas on Calgary streets than ever.

PETA's stance, according to Lavender, is that although the organization doesn't have a problem with faux fur, because real fur can be mislabelled as faux or not labelled at all, it's best to stay clear of any type of fur. "We encourage people who wear faux fur to also wear buttons that clearly indicate that their clothing is not made of real fur," she says, directing me to PETA's online catalog, which includes "faux, not fur" lapel pins for $3 each.

In Nora Ephron's new collection of essays, I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections, there's a piece about Ephron's friendship with playwright and writer Lillian Hellman. It's called "Pentimento," taking its name from the autobiorgraphy Hellman wrote that was later made into the 1977 movie Julia. After the movie was released, it was alleged that Hellman had stolen the story from another woman and that the part where she claimed in 1939 to have smuggled $50,000 in a fur hat to give to an anti-Nazi spy in Germany was complete fabrication. "Lillian had never saved Europe with her little fur hat," Ephron writes.

And yet, for someone who grew up in a Polish home, far removed from the country but surrounded by the culture, the revelation that Hellman might have made up stories about her past takes nothing away from the allure of the image. There's something comforting about seeing heavily done-up Eastern European ladies in their long fur coats pushing carts through the aisles of Superstore (you'd be surprised how many you come across on any given Sunday). It's also romantic to imagine that same woman, her long dark hair tucked under a fur-trimmed leather hat and mink, walking the streets of St. Petersburg on a cold, snowy winter evening.

Shrouded in secrecy--we pretend it's faux when it's not; we say we don't know where the pelts came from or what happened to the animal they belonged to--fur is also enveloped in mystery. Whether it's the communist militia, clad in fur hats, marching the streets of Krakow, or chic '70s women in their fur stoles going to the opera, there's a compelling connection to a past when bread and feminine hygiene products were nearly impossible to buy and pelts could provide a passport to freedom.

In Calgary today, there's no longer the danger of a neighbour ratting you out to the police for having fur, but there's still a thrilling sense of fear of getting caught red-handed wearing the real stuff. Of course, once that secret thrill, along with the elegance of bygone eras is taken away, you're left wearing the skin of a dead animal.

And so we makes excuses. When pressed about her preference for vintage pelts, Junk Star's Lavoie admits that she recently saw a fur-lined pair of gloves that she could potentially make an exception for. "Maybe I am just making excuses," she says. My excuse just happen to begin with an image of a little fur hat from the Eastern Block.

Did This Story Bristle Your Moral Fur? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section of this story on our new website swervecalgary.com. Whether you're pro-or anti-fur, let the conversation continue online. And check back daily to vote in our Disney Villain-off, inspired by the woman who struck fear in puppies and preschoolers: Cruella de Vil.

Keeping It Cool, Clean and Chic

To increase its life (no pun intended), fur requires some TLC. In the summer months, excessive heat and humidity can dry out a pelt's natural oils, so keeping it cool is key. Starting after Easter, Calgary's Charlebois Benzing offers summer cold storage for customers' furs at a facility near the airport. The vault is temperature-, light-and humidity-controlled and houses thousands of furs, protecting them from fading, discolouration, drying out and insect infestation.

The company also recommends having your pelt lustre-glazed every year. The dry process cleans and deodorizes the fur, while preserving its softness, lustre and shine. The process also prevents it from drying out.

If you've inherited grandma's ankle-length mink and it doesn't go with your tee and cargos, your options include recycling, restyling or relinquishing. Those three r's mean you can trade it in on the purchase of a new item; recycle it into teddy bears, blankets or pillows; or get it restyled into a new coat with an updated silhouette.

Although he stays away from remodelling old coats, designer Paul Hardy will create new and unusual pieces from old furs. He once reworked a mink coat into seven different items including cuffs, a collar, a shrug and vest. The latter two pieces, when worn together, made up a short jacket.

And if you swing the other way when it comes to fur, PETA will also take old pelts off your hands. The anti-fur organization donates old coats to the homeless, uses them for educational purposes or gives them to wildlife rehabilitators who use the coats to soothe orphaned or injured animals. (The animals reportedly find comfort in cuddling up to the skin of a former furry friend.)

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Still+Flying+here+would+seem/3991317/story.html#ixzz1JPwVKMqg

Canadian seal festival find support at French film festival

4/1/2011 9:31:43 AM

Press Release, Magdalen Islands Seal Hunters Association

Cap-aux-Meules, March 29th 2011 – As the seal hunt starts in the Maritimes, Quebec’s delegates are coming home from France overwhelmed by the reaction of the crowd present at the Lorient Film Festival, Pêcheurs du monde.

Last Thursday, The Hidden Faces of The Seal Hunt, produced by Phare-est and directed by Raoul Jomphe, officially opened the Festival in front of 200 spectators. Denis Longuépée, president of the Magdalen Islands Seal Hunters Association (MISHA), was invited to the Festival: “After the presentation, we had a debate on the whole issue, but actually, there was only one person still against it... and his intervention was booed by the crowd who, after almost half a century of lies, finally learned the truth about this sustainable, viable and responsible economic activity.”

The members of the delegation seized the occasion to build bridges between themselves and some French associations who promised to bring the information to their political bodies and help Europeans to change their wrong perceptions of the hunt.

Sunday, during the closing event, VIPs, committee members and other invited guests had the opportunity to taste some of Côte-à-côte Butcher shop’s seal products. The appetizers were really popular and disappeared in minutes. Raoul Jomphe witnessed the keen interest for this exotic meat: “By this time, even the one person criticizing the seal hunt had to join the majority and admit that the terrines, pâtés and rillettes were simply delicious.”

According to Denis Longuépée, the whole experience at the festival proves beyond any doubt that we just need to get the right information out for Europeans to start supporting massively the seal hunt. “When people discover they’ve been mislead for decades and that in fact, the herd is over abundant and the killing methods highly regulated, of course, they support us. Now, we need to pursue our educational mission.”

The delegation members were Denis Longuépée, Raoul Jomphe, Cécile Chevrier, producer at Phare-est and Gil Thériault, MISHA’s director.

An economic revolution, draped in fur

3/9/2011 11:57:21 AM

by Eric Jay Dolin, National Post

Some have argued that early European fur traders, including the Dutch, took advantage of the Indians, but in fact the Indians rarely saw it that way. As the French Jesuit priest Paul Le Jeune observed in 1634 during his stay with the Montagnais, an Algonquian tribe in eastern Canada, the Indians were somewhat amused by the Europeans' great desire for furs and their willingness to part with valuable trade goods to get them. Le Jeune heard his "host say one day ... 'The Beaver does everything perfectly well, it makes kettles, hatchets, swords, knives, bread; and, in short, it makes everything' ... showing me a very beautiful knife [he said], 'The English have no sense; they give us 20 knives like this for one Beaver skin." Joking aside, both sides thought they were getting the better deal.

Although Indians held beavers in high regard, they had no problem killing them. They had done so for thousands of years to provide food and clothing, and to serve other utilitarian purposes. But such killing was not indiscriminate, and "they killed animals only in proportion as they had need of them," noted the 17th-century French historian and statesman Nicolas Denys. "They never made an accumulation of skins of moose, beaver, otter or others, but only so far as they needed them for personal use."

With the arrival of the Europeans, however, the nature of the Indians' relationship with beavers and other fur-bearing animals changed radically. As the historian William Cronon observed, "Formerly, there had been little incentive for Indians to kill more than a fixed number of animals.... Precolonial trade enforced an unintentional conservation of animal populations, a conservation which was less the result of enlightened ecological sensibility than of the Indians' limited social definition of 'need.' " The opportunity to obtain European goods, however, altered this equation -much to the detriment of local animal populations.

In effect, the fur trade enabled the Indians to improve their standard of living and their status within their tribe and within the broader Indian community at little cost. The Indians' interest in European goods, however, must not be confused with the desire to accumulate wealth or become rich. Unlike the Europeans, for whom becoming richer through trade was the chief goal, the Indians had no interest in that pursuit. Their goals were more practical and sacred in nature. Metal hatchets, knives and kettles, as well as metal-tipped arrows fashioned from those kettles, performed better and lasted longer than the stone counterparts the Indians traditionally used, and gave the owners of such items added "prestige" among their peers.

Indians coveted imported glass beads and the shiny copper and brass objects for ornamental and ceremonial purposes; the latter because such objects were thought to be imbued with "spiritual power." European fabric, especially when colored red or blue, was in high demand not only because it was easily made into durable, flexible, lightweight and relatively weatherproof clothing, but also because it was cheaper than beaver: As the historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich so cogently put it, Indians in northeastern America "gave up ... [fur] clothing not because it was inferior to English cloth but because it had become too valuable to wear."

A similar logic held for the Europeans. The iron wares, the cloth and the various trinkets they traded were fairly common items, in many instances produced specifically for the Indian trade, and therefore of little intrinsic value. Thus trading them for beaver pelts and other valuable furs was an extremely sound business decision.

This is hardly to suggest, however, that the Europeans were always fair traders, or that they always treated the Indians with respect. They most certainly did not. For example, in 1622, a Dutch merchant ascending the Connecticut River to trade with the Sequin Indians decided that the best way to obtain wampum was to kidnap the local chief and hold him hostage until the ransom of 140 fathoms of wampum belt was paid. Still, taking the broad view, the notion that Indians were routinely duped or mistreated in their trades with the Europeans, at least at this early period of colonization, is simply not true. After all, the Indians were in a very real sense the customers of the European traders, and one of the key ways of maintaining a profitable relationship with one's customers is to treat them at least civilly. The traders knew that if they abused that relationship, their Indian partners would be partners no more.

Nor were the Indians novices when it came to trade. They had been trading among themselves, and across the length and breadth of North America, for thousands of years, and in the century before the Dutch arrived on the Hudson, Indians had honed their skills trading with a range of European explorers, fishermen and fur traders. If anything, in the early years of the fur trade it was often the Europeans who were taken advantage of by the Indians, who quickly learned the value of furs and became adept at playing traders off against one another to drive up prices. It would be a mistake, however, to view the fur trade in purely economic, utilitarian or spiritual terms. To the Indians especially the trade was an important means of forging bonds between individuals and groups. When an Indian exchanged furs with a trader for a metal hatchet, for example, "it wasn't," as Cronon notes, "simply two goods that were moving back and forth. There were symbols passing between them as well. The trader might not have been aware of all those symbols, but for the Indian the exchange represented a statement about friendship. The Indian might expect to rely on the trader for military support, and to support him in return." Thus the trade in furs functioned diplomatically, cementing alliances between the Indians and the Europeans that helped to determine the balance of power not only among Indian tribes, but also among the Europeans who would soon be vying for control of the continent.

Having the goods to trade for beavers is only half of the equation; you also need beavers. And here, several factors -biology, geography and the impacts of the plague -posed serious obstacles. Because beavers do not migrate over great distances and have a relatively low reproductive rate, intense hunting can easily wipe out local populations. Thus the pressures of the fur trade quickly stripped all the beavers from the woods and meadows in the vicinity of Plymouth, New England's founding settlement. And because Plymouth lacks large navigable rivers, there was no easy route for furs from the interior to be transported to the Pilgrims. Finally, the plague wiped out many of the local Indians who would have been the Pilgrims' most logical trading partners, and who could have served as a bridge to tribes farther away, where furs were more plentiful. The colonists overcame these obstacles by travelling up and down the coast, seeking out Indians who had furs to trade.

Reliance on the Indians as suppliers of pelts would become a leitmotif for the American fur trade for more than two hundred years, during which time the Indians became, according to the historian Harold Hickerson, "a kind of vast forest proletariat whose production was raw fur and whose wages were drawn in goods."

As William Wood, an Englishman who lived in Massachusetts for four years, wrote in 1634, the colonists were not well suited to take up the hunt. The "wisdom" of the beaver "secures them from the English who seldom or never kills any of them, being not patient to lay a long siege or to be so often deceived by their cunning evasions, so that all the beaver which the English have comes first from the Indians whose time and experience fits them for that employment."

The Indians employed many hunting methods in their pursuit of beaver. They used traps on land and nets in the water, baited with the wood the beavers ate. Sometimes the Indians' dogs would catch the beavers. Indians would also damage parts of the dam, and shoot the beavers with arrows and spears when they came to mend the breach, or, if the pond was frozen over, the hunters might kill the beaver by taking advantage of its need for air.

In the latter case, the Indians first destroyed the beaver lodge, forcing the beavers to escape through plunge holes into the water. Knowing that the beavers would seek out "the hollow and thin places between the water and ice, where they can breathe," the Indians would find these spots using their clubs, one side of which was tipped with a "whale's bone," while the other had a sharpened "iron blade." The Indians tapped the ice with the tip of the bone, and when a hollow space was found, flipped the club over and used the blade to make a hole, "looking to see if the water is stirred up by the movement or breathing of the beaver." If it was, they used a "curved stick" and their club to grab the beaver and smash its skull.

The dead beavers were then given to the Indian women to be skinned, a relatively tedious job that began with cutting off the beaver's legs at their base, then slitting the animal from the underside of the chin to the tail. Starting at the edges, the pelt was slowly sheared and pulled away from the body, making every effort to cut off as much of the meat and fat as possible.

After further cleaning and preparation, the oval pelts would travel one of two paths. Many were cut into rectangular pieces and stitched together by the Indians, then worn as robes for a year or more before being traded to the Europeans. This coat beaver, or castor gras as the French called it, was the most valuable because nearly all of the pelt's coarse guard hairs -which stick out beyond the soft woolly undercoat, and would otherwise have to be time-consumingly plucked out and discarded during the felting process -were already removed as a result of the constant friction between the pelt and the Indians' bodies.

Pelts not incorporated into robes were stretched on branch hoops, using animal sinews threaded through the edges, and dried in the shade for a day or two. The pelt was then scraped to remove the last vestiges of meat or fat, and dried some more. When the pelt was finally removed from the stretcher, it was as stiff as a board and ready for trade and transport. Such pelts, called parchment beaver -or castor sec, by the French -still had guard hairs in place, and therefore were of lesser value than castor gras. No matter how the pelts were prepared, it was extremely important that it be done properly, because shoddy work could lead to maggot and moth infestation, rendering the pelts worthless.

- Reprinted from Fur, Fortune, And Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America, by Eric Jay Dolin. ©2010 by Eric Jay Dolin. Used by permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

She brings warmth of north to south - Makes Inuit clothing in her home

3/8/2011 2:39:40 PM

by Bill Redekop, Winnipeg Free Press

Moving from Nunavut to Winnipeg has meant big changes for Annie Bowkett, 54, who runs a small company making super warm, traditional Inuit clothing.

For one thing, she can't get used to "southern food," as she puts it. So she has caribou, beluga whale meat and Arctic char shipped from home. Some of it she boils but most of it she and husband, Roy, eat raw.

Neither can Bowkett get used to "men's knives," as she calls our common utensil. Instead, she uses a traditional ulu -- it's a short, crescent-shaped blade with a hand grip on it like on a corkscrew.

It's for scraping sealskins, cutting hides -- and cutting dinner.

And she misses sleeping in cooler air. She will sometimes sleep in her backyard workshop in winter, heated with just a traditional seal oil lamp (kudlik).

Bowkett feels most at home making her handmade sealskin moccasins (kamiks), mitts and parkas.

"It's fabulous," said Winnipegger Jennifer Schindle, of her new parka Bowkett made. "It's just beautiful. I get a comment on it every day." "I make people warm," said Bowkett, whose Inuit Custom Clothing is a home-based, word-of-mouth business. The clothes she makes are beautifully hand-embroidered with Inuit art.

In fact, Bowkett once shot a polar bear on Ellesmere Island and made it into polar bear pants (and ate the meat). "They're the warmest pants in the world and they cool off in summer, so you can wear them year-round," she said.

Bowkett is from Pangnirtung (called "Pang," for short), a community of 1,300 people on Baffin Island in Nunavut. There she ran a business called The Miqqut (Needle Work) Store. She had five employees.

She met her husband, Winnipegger Roy Bowkett, a former public school teacher and Anglican minister, in 1991. Roy was undergoing a life change and had begun teaching Inuit students to become Anglican ministers at Arthur Turner Training School in Pang.

Two years later, in 1993, they married, the second marriage for both. Four years ago, they moved to Winnipeg, where Roy had kept ownership of his residence. Bowkett restarted her business.

Bowkett knows fur is a touchy subject in the south.

Seal and caribou furs are much warmer than fabric and allow moisture to escape, she explained. It's even truer in places like Pang, where temperatures get below -40 C and some homes have to be anchored to the ground with steel cables so they won't blow away.

But the arctic air seems to have health benefits, too. Bowkett's "beautiful great grandmother" lived to 106, and her "beautiful grandmother" to 103, she said.

Bowkett injects the word "beautiful" whenever speaking of her ancestors.

Many of her customers are from the Arctic.

She has also sold clothes to people in places like Switzerland, Holland, the U.S., Belgium, China and Japan. She made clothing for the movie The Snow Walker, based on Farley Mowat's novel.

She does all the work by hand. A parka will take up to five weeks to complete but she will work on kamiks and mitts at the same time. Parkas sell in the $1,300 range; kamiks from $550 to $800. She is not hard up for customers.

She cuts the hides with an ulu over top of her thumbnail, using the back of her nail like a cutting board. There is no wood in Pang, she explained.

She chews the seal skin hides to soften them to work with. This isn't a two-minute process. She may have to chew the hides, which come in as stiff as boards, for a couple of hours. You might think she watches TV to pass the time. You'd be wrong. "I don't enjoy electronics," she said. "When I chew, I think about my ancestors." She will use an inner felt boot for her kamiks.

In parkas, she often uses duffle, the heavy wool cloth first brought to Nunavut by Scottish whalers in the 1850s, or duck down she plucks herself.

Bowkett is discovering much to like about Winnipeg, too. The fur industry here means she can get the materials she needs.

She also appreciates access to the city's large wholesale clothing sector and "the friendly people" of Winnipeg.

She misses hunting, though.

In addition to the polar bear, she has shot a wolf and a musk ox.

She has hunted seal and caribou; caught Arctic char and clams; picked seaweed, blackberries and blueberries. "We use our animals for food and warmth," she explained of Inuit people.

Her business is not on the Internet, but she can be reached at (204) 487-4689.

Hong Kong designer wins international remix competition in Milan

3/8/2011 2:17:45 PM

by International Fur Trade Federation

Hong Kong Designer, Sarah Lan Woon Hei, was awarded the Gold prize last night at REMIX, the International Fur Design Competition at La Visionnaire, in Milan. Sarah Lan Woon Hei is in her final year of studying Fashion Design and Product Development at the Hong Kong Design Institute. The jury selected Sarah’s voluminous ombred mink coat, from 38 garments entered by other breakthrough fur designers from North America, Europe, Russia and Asia.

The REMIX Silver prize and the OA Special Award went to Finnish designer, Annika Heikinheimo, she told the jury that she finds her inspiration from art, graphic design, in particular from old advertising posters. The Bronze prize was awarded to Yuya Itoh, for his sumptuous draped mink dress with crossover shrug inspired by the landscape and solid dynamics seen in Sesshu’s ink paintings.

At REMIX this year, IFTF launched a third prize category, ‘Pimp My Coat’. The new ‘Pimp My Coat’ category provides designers with the opportunity to rework a vintage full length mink coat and redesign it to reflect future design trends. US Master’s student, Thom Olson, scooped the award for his two piece creation, which used both the jacket and the skirt of the original vintage coat. The concept was devised by the IFTF’s Young Fur Traders’ Committee to help demonstrate the sustainability of fur.

All the designers taking part in the REMIX design competition are winners of their own national level design competition, resulting in an outstanding level of innovative design.

The REMIX competition was introduced in 2003 by the International Trade Federation [IFTF], in collaboration with MIFUR, the Milan based International Fur and Leather Exhibition. Now in its eighth year, more than 360 talented fur designer from 21 countries have taken part in this annual event since its inception. REMIX aims to encourage, inspire and support up-and-coming designers as they develop and explore their relationship with fur, as well as to give them an opportunity to showcase their innovative designs to an international audience.

Fur into fashion

3/8/2011 12:48:32 PM

by Eva Friede, Gazette Style Editor

When Prabal Gurung showed his funky fur pieces on the runway at New York Fashion Week, there was a lot of legwork and design interpretation that happened in Montreal.

Like Christina Nacos, creative director of Natural Furs, running around town seeking just the right lace trim for the lining Gurung had sketched. She found it on St. Hubert St.

Natural Furs, a family company founded in 1947, creates the furs for the young New York designer, who has dressed Michelle Obama, Demi Moore and Oprah Winfrey, among others. It also holds the licence for Féraud and runs a retail shop, Furb Atelier, in the heart of the historic fur district downtown.

The process begins when Gurung sends his colourful sketches to Natural’s chief designer, Robert Beaupré. With colleague Peter Dawe, they figure out what can be done, with which furs and which technique.

Nacos said they created about 15 pieces for Gurung, which were then edited down to about five shown on the runway Feb. 12. Inspired by Dickens’s Miss Havisham and John Singer Sargent’s A Parisian Beggar Girl, Gurung presented a multi-textured, colourful show of feathered or chiffon gowns, hot pink-red combos and black lace prints on white. A red chiffon gown was shown with a red-to-white dégradé sheared fur jacket, and fluffy baby pink Mongolian lamb showed up paired with a pink gown.

Women’s Wear Daily wrote: “Translation: a current of eccentricity that infused Gurung’s polished lady fare with a newfound youth and modernity. It showed up in shocks of colour – a vermilion blouse over tight fuchsia pants – and in the air of pretty déshabillé with which the clothes were worn.”

“He likes volume,” Nacos said in the workshop of the company as the furs were being finished and sent to New York. “He likes puffy. He likes a lot of mixed media – Mongolian with goat, fox with mink – a lot of play of volume.’’

Natural is one of a handful of furriers still housed in the Gordon Brown Building on de Maisonneuve Blvd. W. The retail shop, on Mayor St., stocks blankets, bags, stoles, hats and pillows of various furs.

Everything is done on the premises (other than dyeing), from sketching to pattern-making, letting out and blocking.

Letting out, Dawe explained, means making a skin longer. It is cut on the diagonal in thin strips and sewn back together to get the complete length from the shoulder to the hem.

Blocking is another process: after they are dyed, skins are soaked in alcohol and stretched out as much as possible.

And when the orders come in for the Gurung collection, mainly from the U.S., but also from Salon Élégance at Ogilvy and other Canadian retailers, the production will happen in the company’s 11,000 square feet downtown. The pieces will sell for about $2,000 to $6,000 retail, Nacos said.

The materials include Canadian sheared mink and fox, Mongolian lamb, goat and feathers.

Another garment that wound up on the runway was a white coat of fox, goat, lamb and mink tails. It was paired with a midi-length black chiffon skirt.

Dawe was working on a reversible coat with a multi-coloured feathered fox and goat border. The long hair was goat, while the fox was dyed two different colours to give it an interesting texture.

Gurung gives suggestions as to what fur he wants, but sometimes it doesn’t work, Dawe said, so it is up to Beaupré and him to find the fur and technique to achieve the vision.

“It’s always possible,’’ Beaupré replied, asked whether he always finds a way to interpret the sketches.

It would take hours to do this kind of work, Dawe said. “You can see how tiny the lines of fur are,’’ he added, pointing to the multi-coloured striped backside of the border, which was to be covered in lining when finished.

“Prabal likes texture,’’ he said. “In his sketches the fur element is always huge. That’s one of the things that’s hard to do. It’s almost impossible to have massive collars.’’

Both Dawe and Beaupré expressed a preference for fun with fur over classic cuts.

“We do crazy things every season,’’ Beaupré said, recalling a coat of Mongolian lamb and goat hair in electric blue, done for Féraud.

“I love this new fashion element to fur, because it really is an accessory even if it is a garment,” Dawe said.

“Although you can appreciate the beauty of a true classic, the new stuff is much more fun and exciting.’’

Beaupré, who has been with Natural for 13 years, also prefers the wild and wondrous side of fur.

“Because when you’re a furrier, each day is different.’’

Fur: Should you still fake it?

3/8/2011 10:19:45 AM

by Julie Carpenter, Express.co.uk

There was a time when every supermodel worth her salt would “rather go naked than wear fur” (at least for a photo shoot) and if you ventured out of the house with the merest hint of a mink the wrath of animal rights groups would descend upon you, along with some paint and maybe a rotten egg. Most of us wouldn’t consider wearing a dead animal round our neck any more than we would be happy to skin it ourselves. It was all about fashion with a conscience.

But now, it seems, we are not quite so disgusted. Fur is back and it’s big, with fur collars, fur coats, fur capes, fur trims and even fur skirts dominating the autumn/winter catwalk collections. Nearly 400 national and international designers including John Galliano and Amanda Wakeley currently use fur and, according to the British Fur Trade Association (BFTA), worldwide sales have increased by 58 per cent since the Nineties.

The list of celebrities happy to be seen draped in mink or fox, or looking chic in chinchilla, is also growing. Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Victoria Beckham, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Lindsay Lohan all cuddle up to the contentious stuff.

And, controversially, one of the factors which has caused real fur to fly off the shelves appears to be the popularity of fake fur. While synthetic products have always been considered the no-guilt alternative to the genuine article, experts believe it has “normalised” the wearing of clothes which look like fur and made venturing out in the real McCoy easier as no one can tell the difference.
“There was a time when people were afraid to go out because you’d be a target for animal rights,” says Mark Heyes, GMTV’s fashion stylist, “But now that danger has gone. I know a few fashion girls who will wear vintage fur coats and think nothing of it because they’re not going to have red paint thrown over them. If anyone questions it, you can say it’s fake.”

Whereas in the past Anna Wintour, the fur-loving editor of American Vogue, has been pelted with everything from a dead racoon to a tofu pie, extreme shock tactics by the likes of PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals) appear to have died down.

“Fashion shows in the Nineties and the early part of this decade used to have security guards either side of the catwalk when they used real fur. You don’t have that now. It’s just accepted,” says Sue Evans, senior editor at fashion stylists WGSN.

It seems ironic that fake fur may have inadvertently helped contribute to real fur’s acceptance, especially when the quality of the fakes has vastly improved in recent years. “Whereas 20 years ago, fake fur was quite nasty and plastic, now it’s beautiful,” says TV stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones. “So many designers are using fake fur which you’d probably think was real.”

This year, Chanel used faux fur for the first time, labelling it “fantasy fur”, which only goes to further blur the boundaries between fake and real in some experts’ opinions. But surely fake fur is not solely responsible for the surge in real fur sales?

“I don’t think PETA have the clout they used to have either,” says Evans. “They may be outside Harrods on a Saturday afternoon handing out leaflets but their global advertising campaigns have fallen by the wayside.”

One of the reasons for this, she suggests, is that there are now fewer ethical arguments that can be directed against real fur.

“Real fur remains a supreme example of a fashion product that derives from a wholly-natural, sustainable resource and is long-lasting but ultimately biodegradable,” says Andrea Martin of the BFTA, “whereas many fake furs are manufactured with non-renewable petroleum based products.” To put it another way, fake fur could be bad for the environment.
“Fake fur is not ethical, it’s not sustainable and there’s more publicity now about the environment than there is about killing animals,” says Evans. “A lot of young people today have grown up with the whole environmental issue and so why pollute the atmosphere by making a faux fabric when you can actually buy the real thing or wear vintage? Many people don’t have the same perception about vintage fur as new fur anyway. The idea is that it’s old and you’ve not actually killed an animal to get it.”
Wearing your granny’s old fox-fur coat could also be considered green in a recycling fashion but PETA does not accept the argument that faux fur is environmentally unfriendly, arguing that real fur has to be heavily treated with chemicals “so that it doesn’t rot on people’s backs”. Its supporters argue real fur is “as environmentally unfriendly as it is cruel”.

“Most people are as opposed to fur as ever, meaning totally opposed,” insists a PETA spokeswoman. “That’s why faux is ubiquitous and flying off the shelves.”

PETA vehemently denies the whole argument against fake fur and is still backing the synthetic stuff. “Faux fur means less real fur,” the group argues, “and because it’s so popular, and people do know what they’re buying, it only does good.”

I t stresses the element of cruelty involved in producing any fur garment (“there is no nice way of skinning an animal”) but other experts suggest that the recent introduction of the Origin Assured trademark on many fur products has done wonders for easing the conscience of the fur-inclined customer.
“Fur that carries the OA trademark means that it comes from a country where government-approved animal welfare regulations or industry care standards are in force governing fur production,” says Martin.
Another reason why more of us are buying fur is celebrity endorsement which, says Evans, “has a huge impact on the general public” and in particular the young who don’t remember when Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford fronted PETA’s “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” campaign in the Nineties.
But has this fur-friendly attitude filtered down to the high street? According to Mark Heyes, the answer is no. “It’s going to be incredibly difficult to ever increase the sale of fur on the high street. Shops are still terrified of being targeted by animal rights groups. About four years ago, Zara had used some rabbit fur and there was so much screaming and shouting about it that it was taken off the shelves immediately and that put the fear of God into high street stores.

“In countries such as Spain, Italy and France the situation is different - but not here. On the high street it’s still taboo and I’d never consider putting fur on GMTV. There would be too much backlash.”

Livingston's is in it fur the long haul

3/1/2011 4:50:58 PM

by Mary K. Nolan, The Hamilton Spectator

Sometimes they've been living quietly in the closet for decades.

They're only outed when someone dies or moves house - and that's when Alan Livingston and wife Ya'el Greenberg-Livingston find out about them.

"It's usually people in transition," says Ya'el. "They're moving or downsizing and they'll bring in their old fur coats that have been waylaid for 20 years.

"Often they're in really good condition and can be very valuable, but for some reason, they've put them in the back of their cupboard and forgotten about them."

The couple can't count how many times customers have stepped tentatively into their chic downtown Burlington salon with an old fur on a hanger and asked if anything could be done with it.

Styles may change but fur lasts a long time and people don't want to throw it out or give it away. Often there's a sentimental attachment to a piece - it was mom's or grandma's and a customer may even remember snuggling up against its softness as a child. So they take it to a furrier.

Whether it's muskrat or mink, "we can give them 20 ideas on what we can do with an older fur," says Alan, adding that remodelling is a big part of the business.

The garment can be restyled, shortened, sheared for a different look, made into a sleeveless vest or reversible cloth/fur coat, used as trim on a shawl or coat, blended with leather or fabric, turned into a scarf, a throw, a hat or, Alan says with a shudder, "a teddy bear as a last resort."

He's a long way from the classroom and his original career as a school teacher, but with furriers on both sides of his family, the business is in his blood.

Alan's paternal grandfather, Albert Livingston, was about six when his father, Jacob, joined the massive wave of European immigration and brought the family to Toronto from a Russian village.

He grew up to become a fur dealer who travelled the country by train, setting up temporary shops in hotels and negotiating the purchase of fur pelts from trappers and brokers. In about 1914 Albert established the British Raw Fur Co. - "Our Motto: Fair Play" - which eventually became the largest fur exporter in the Commonwealth.

An old waybill in the store's back room shows the scope of Albert's trade and the enormous variety of species that made Canada second to none for fur. Badgers and bears, weasels and wolves, and all kinds of critters in between including mink, skunk and a variety of fox, Albert dealt in all of them.

It was his pelts that supplied the high-end fur showrooms of Eatons', Simpson's, Creed's and Holt Renfrew.

Sadly, Albert and his wife, a Boston girl named Sadie Kotzen, lost the twins she bore him in 1919. It was four years until son, Ken, was born and another four until Jordan arrived at the end of 1926.

Although both boys grew up helping their dad, neither was interested in fur. Ken became an air force pilot while Jordan set his sights on ophthalmic surgery.

But draconian quotas on the number of Jewish students accepted into the program kept him out of medical school. Despite the disappointment, it proved fortuitous because Albert was diagnosed with cancer around the same time and Jordan had no choice but to abandon his formal education and help out in the family business.

It proved even more serendipitous when Toronto furrier Jack Friedman introduced Jordan to his daughter, Sylvia. By 1948, Jordan had a wife and a new job in Hamilton, managing the Warner H. Howell fur store his father-in-law had bought.

Within a few years, it was renamed Jordan Livingston Furs, a name that was to become synonymous with the finest furs. Expropriated in 1968 from King and MacNab streets to make way for Jackson Square, the store relocated to Terminal Towers where, customers remember, the double doors were covered with fur.

None of Jordan's three sons had chosen to join their father in the business, but by the late 1970s, Alan had become disillusioned with teaching and accepted his dad's offer to try it out. He commuted from Toronto for six months, discovered it was far more challenging and interesting than he expected, and joined Jordan full time in 1979.

It pained Jordan, an ardent civic booster, joiner and supporter of the arts, to defect to Burlington in 1999 and close the Hamilton store the following year. But downtown had changed dramatically and moving was a matter of survival.

The store survived, indeed thrived, but it was a devastating blow when a retired but still involved Jordan died of a heart attack in 2003. It was Alan who found him.

"It was really tough," he says.

Nevertheless, he forged ahead, ushering the business back from the down days when fur was politically incorrect and people felt guilty about wearing it. Nowadays, organizations such as the Fur Council of Canada's furisgreen.com initiative are helping to convince the public of fur's value as a renewable resource.

And figures like Vogue editor Anna Wintour have consistently supported fur, which can be found dyed, stencilled, blended, grooved, lightweight, feathered... ....

"These aren't your grandmother's furs anymore," Alan says.

Mink waste seen as energy source

3/1/2011 3:07:25 PM

by Chris Lambie, The Chronicle-Herald

A handful of mink ranchers in western Nova Scotia are exploring the idea of turning mink manure, waste feed and possibly even mink carcasses into energy.

Six mink farmers in Clare, Digby Co., will need between $2 million and $3 million to build the anaerobic digester needed to make the plan work, Terry Thibodeau of the Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency, said Tuesday.

"I think we're on to something that's going to be big and really revolutionary in the way we approach waste and waste products."

The waste from mink farms could be converted into methane gas, which in turn could be used to generate electricity, he said.

"So there are opportunities for a completely renewable product, reduction of greenhouse gases - the whole nine yards," Thibodeau said.

The facility would be a business set up on its own, he said.

"They would have collector trucks to go pick up the waste and bring it to the central anaerobic digester for processing."

The small group of mink farmers asked Gordon Price, the Innovative Waste Management Research Chair at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, to examine the problem of what to do with the waste from their farms that is left over after the fur is harvested.

"He came up with the idea that the best, the most value-added product is making electricity from methane gas, which is created (in the anaerobic digester)," Thibodeau said. "It's done on farms all over Europe."

A 1,500-cubic-metre operation could generate almost 500 kilowatts of power, Thibodeau said. It would take the manure and waste feed from about 30,000 mink to run such a plant.

Adding in the carcasses gets complicated, Thibodeau said.

"You've got to break the protein in the carcasses and it's a longer process and you've got to make sure that your efficiency rate of the anaerobic digester is enough to break down those carcasses."

BioGas Energy Inc. has been engaged in preliminary talks about the concept, said David Miller, the Halifax company's vice-president of business development.

"It's very early in the game," Miller said Tuesday.

He suggested the idea likely requires a feasibility study.

"Do I think it will work? Yeah it will," Miller said.

BioGas has already set up an anaerobic digester to convert food and agricultural waste to gas at a facility in Centreville.

"The material is broken down inside a sealed container without oxygen," Miller said. "One of the biggest polluters in the world from a greenhouse gas emissions point of view is methane, and that's what comes out of this material when it breaks down. We capture it and . . . we purify the methane. We then strip out the (carbon dioxide), which is part of the process, and we have a scrubber that takes out a small amount of (hydrogen sulphide)."

Mink farming is big business in Nova Scotia.

The 340 Ranchers Co-Operative Ltd. in Weymouth, Digby County, expects to pelt 1.4 million mink between this past fall and the end of March.

The co-op already has a deal with Spec Resources Inc. to take the carcasses, Thibodeau said.

Hubert Leblanc, who heads Spec, "set up his own compost facility in the region to take just the carcasses," Thibodeau said. "But the deal with the carcasses is they take upwards of two or three years to break down. And even at that, the type of compost that you get is not a Class A compost. There are still bits of bone from the carcasses and that sort of thing."

Mink ranchers fear Aleutian disease could contaminate their animals through the use of that compost, Thibodeau said.

"They don't want it anywhere near their own farms," he said.

Consultants have suggested the mink carcasses could be used to make mosquito repellent or shoe polish, Thibodeau said.

There are about 160 mink ranchers in the province. Most of the farms are in Digby County.

The provincial Agriculture Department says mink export sales were about $80 million in 2009, up from $65 million in 2008.