Fur is one of nature’s most alluring gifts, treasured for its beauty and ability to provide warmth. It evokes a myriad of emotions and has a luxurious appeal that transcends time. Fur is also one of the most tactile materials, surprising designers and consumers alike with its versatility.
Currently valued at over $30bn in retail alone, with the total value of world raw fur skin production estimated at $4.1bn in 2015, no fashion item has been as important to the world as fur. Dating back to the dawn of humankind, fur secured the survival of menthroughout the last Ice Age and made migration beyond Africa possible.
Throughout history, fur has played a major role in shaping human identity, culture and social norms — the fur business was a global industry centuries before the term globalization was invented. Today the sector spans an international network of farms, small to medium-sized businesses, auction houses, brokers, buyers, dressers, dyers, manufacturers, retailers and industry bodies.
As a long-lasting, natural material, fur has inherent environmental qualities. It represents a sustainable alternative to the synthetic materials on which today’s ‘fast fashion’ depends.
Natural fur is a clean, sustainable fashion material with less impact on landfills and oceans than plastic fur.
Natural Fur generates millions of jobs, from farmers in rural communities to designers and skilled craftsmen in fashion cities across the globe.
The fur sector is responsible and highly regulated, with welfare and sustainability at the core of its operations.
Consumers, companies and other stakeholders are expressing a significant interest in how fashion value chains engage with ethical issues. The fur sector provides the highest levels of transparency and commitment in this area in order to inform consumer choice.
Natural fur is a contemporary material with a rich heritage that appeals to designers and consumers of all ages.
As much as fur is established and traditional, it is also flexible and modern. The fur sector holds innovation at a premium. The industry has a number of Fur Design Centers that are dedicated to developing new fur techniques as well as sharing this information with commercial partners from around the world.
As one of the oldest trades in the world, the fur industry is proud of its heritage. For decades designers have been using fur and it's now on catwalks across the globe, generating millions of jobs.
High welfare and environmental standards are at the heart of our business, and we operate to strict standards based on science and backed by independent inspection. Sustainability is now the sector’s watchword. We hope that the innovative procedures and solutions we are putting forward will see the start of an even more successful era for fur.