Designers at one Danish fur company describe their everyday work as "playing."
They play with mink, chinchilla and fox skins. As a fabric, they believe fur should no longer be limited to heavy overcoats but could be everywhere in the fashion world.
The designers at Kopenhagen Fur trim fur on dresses, trousers, handbags, necklaces, cell phone pouches, notebooks even bikinis.
And the trend is catching on in China, which has become the world's largest fur apparel manufacturing base, says Heidi Nyby, retail marketing manager of Kopenhagen Fur.
With fur back in fashion, sales at the world's largest fur auction house Kopenhagen Fur's Fur Centre rose to 5.2 billion Danish kroner ($893million) in the first three quarters of 2006, with 80 percent of the revenues coming from China.
At each auction, Chinese make up around two-thirds of the bidders, says Nyby.
Designers at one Danish fur company describe their everyday work as "playing."
They play with mink, chinchilla and fox skins. As a fabric, they believe fur should no longer be limited to heavy overcoats but could be everywhere in the fashion world.
The designers at Kopenhagen Fur trim fur on dresses, trousers, handbags, necklaces, cell phone pouches, notebooks even bikinis.
And the trend is catching on in China, which has become the world's largest fur apparel manufacturing base, says Heidi Nyby, retail marketing manager of Kopenhagen Fur.
With fur back in fashion, sales at the world's largest fur auction house Kopenhagen Fur's Fur Centre rose to 5.2 billion Danish kroner ($893million) in the first three quarters of 2006, with 80 percent of the revenues coming from China.
At each auction, Chinese make up around two-thirds of the bidders, says Nyby.
The Chinese bidders represent both domestic and international markets.
Chinese apparel firms have improved dramatically over the past decade, from simply processing an order or imitating others to designing and innovating, Nyby says.
"Especially the young generation of Chinese designers have a real passion for fur in their designs," she said. "The Chinese market can no longer be ignored. It is becoming as important as Europe and the United States."
Kopenhagen Fur holds auction sessions five times a year, selling some 17 million mink skins half the world's annual output along with other animal skins, with a turnover of more than $728 million in 2005.
Targeting China's emerging market, Kopenhagen Fur is not satisfied with only selling skins. Nyby believes providing more technical and design support to clients is critical for the firm's long-term growth and the entire fur business world.
The firm launched its Kopenhagen Studio in May 2006, to demonstrate the innovative uses of fur to its clients.
At the studio, international designers, fashion houses, trend researchers and other creative people run workshops, seminars and a wide range of other activities.
The studio includes a showroom with a permanent exhibition featuring the latest fur developments, as well as examples of the best and most creative fur products on the market.
"Chinese manufacturers are especially welcome," says Nyby.
The Purple Club
Currently the company is focusing on promoting to China its Purple Club products, made with its highest quality fur. So far, there are six Purple Club member boutiques in China leading domestic evening gown brand NE-Tiger has boutiques in Beijing, Harbin, Shanghai, Qingdao and Urumqi and Italian fur fashion house Henry Fischer has one store in Shanghai.
Kopenhagen Fur offers four different coloured labels which represent four different quality standards. Purple is the highest quality, then Kopenhagen Platinum, Kopenhagen Burgundy and Kopenhagen Ivory.
Up to 100 boutiques in 27 countries have been offered Purple Club membership.
"As a Purple Club member, we use Purple quality skins for the garments. Membership means international recognition and a guarantee of high quality," says Zhang Zhifeng, founder and creative director of NE-Tiger.
In 2005, NE-Tiger became the first Chinese member of the Purple Club. Accession to the club followed 10 years of partnership with Kopenhagen Fur.
The Italian-based fur company Henry Fischer made its debut in China at the 2006 Shanghai Fashion Week. The company recently rented a villa on Shanghai's high street, Hengshan Road, which it has turned into a 200-square-metre boutique, says David Fischer. The grandson of the brand founder is in charge of the business's development in China.
"We will open another store in Beijing, if the business goes well in Shanghai," says Fischer.
Fischer says he can sell fur products in three seasons spring, winter and autumn. In summer, he will display his creative ideas for fur garments, including bikinis.
Henry Fischer overcoats sell at prices ranging from 50,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan.
The world has displayed an evident fondness for dressing up in mink, fox and other types of fur over the past five years. According to the International Fur Trade Federation, sales of fur and fur accessories worldwide reached $12.8 billion in 2005, up 7.9 percent from 2004 and up a full 28.4 percent if measured against the year 2000.
Anti-fur movement getting milder
Nyby says the international anti-fur movement has turned milder in recent years, except for in Britain, which has maintained a very firm stance against fur products.
The world's major markets, such as the United States, the European continent and Asia, have become more welcoming to fur. In China, the situation is even easier than those Western nations, Nyby says.
The company claims that it makes a lot of effort to protect animal welfare. It says it has researched and invested in the best possible conditions for its animals for decades, even bringing them toys.
The Chinese bidders represent both domestic and international markets.
Chinese apparel firms have improved dramatically over the past decade, from simply processing an order or imitating others to designing and innovating, Nyby says.
"Especially the young generation of Chinese designers have a real passion for fur in their designs," she said. "The Chinese market can no longer be ignored. It is becoming as important as Europe and the United States."
Kopenhagen Fur holds auction sessions five times a year, selling some 17 million mink skins half the world's annual output along with other animal skins, with a turnover of more than $728 million in 2005.
Targeting China's emerging market, Kopenhagen Fur is not satisfied with only selling skins. Nyby believes providing more technical and design support to clients is critical for the firm's long-term growth and the entire fur business world.
The firm launched its Kopenhagen Studio in May 2006, to demonstrate the innovative uses of fur to its clients.
At the studio, international designers, fashion houses, trend researchers and other creative people run workshops, seminars and a wide range of other activities.
The studio includes a showroom with a permanent exhibition featuring the latest fur developments, as well as examples of the best and most creative fur products on the market.
"Chinese manufacturers are especially welcome," says Nyby.
The Purple Club
Currently the company is focusing on promoting to China its Purple Club products, made with its highest quality fur. So far, there are six Purple Club member boutiques in China leading domestic evening gown brand NE-Tiger has boutiques in Beijing, Harbin, Shanghai, Qingdao and Urumqi and Italian fur fashion house Henry Fischer has one store in Shanghai.
Kopenhagen Fur offers four different coloured labels which represent four different quality standards. Purple is the highest quality, then Kopenhagen Platinum, Kopenhagen Burgundy and Kopenhagen Ivory.
Up to 100 boutiques in 27 countries have been offered Purple Club membership.
"As a Purple Club member, we use Purple quality skins for the garments. Membership means international recognition and a guarantee of high quality," says Zhang Zhifeng, founder and creative director of NE-Tiger.
In 2005, NE-Tiger became the first Chinese member of the Purple Club. Accession to the club followed 10 years of partnership with Kopenhagen Fur.
The Italian-based fur company Henry Fischer made its debut in China at the 2006 Shanghai Fashion Week. The company recently rented a villa on Shanghai's high street, Hengshan Road, which it has turned into a 200-square-metre boutique, says David Fischer. The grandson of the brand founder is in charge of the business's development in China.
"We will open another store in Beijing, if the business goes well in Shanghai," says Fischer.
Fischer says he can sell fur products in three seasons spring, winter and autumn. In summer, he will display his creative ideas for fur garments, including bikinis.
Henry Fischer overcoats sell at prices ranging from 50,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan.
The world has displayed an evident fondness for dressing up in mink, fox and other types of fur over the past five years. According to the International Fur Trade Federation, sales of fur and fur accessories worldwide reached $12.8 billion in 2005, up 7.9 percent from 2004 and up a full 28.4 percent if measured against the year 2000.
Anti-fur movement getting milder
Nyby says the international anti-fur movement has turned milder in recent years, except for in Britain, which has maintained a very firm stance against fur products.
The world's major markets, such as the United States, the European continent and Asia, have become more welcoming to fur. In China, the situation is even easier than those Western nations, Nyby says.
The company claims that it makes a lot of effort to protect animal welfare. It says it has researched and invested in the best possible conditions for its animals for decades, even bringing them toys.
