| History |
| Glossary |
How it works
The fur trade is an exciting, complex and truly international trade sector. Its structure is unique, with fur adding value to many different sectors and national economies on the journey from its origins to the consumer.
The fur trade supports a remarkable range of cultures, traditional skills and lifestyles, while continually developing new techniques to meet the demands of the fashion world and todayís consumer.
Today, more than 1 million people are employed full-time by the fur trade worldwide.
The fur trade is a responsible industry, highly regulated and committed to environmental conservation. No endangered species are used.
The majority of raw skins produced by fur farmers and trappers are sold through modern international auction houses, often located close to producing areas. The farmers and trappers receive the price paid at auction, either direct or through local collectors, less a small commission for grading (sorting) and handling.
The world's largest auction houses are in Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo, Saint Petersburg, Seattle and Toronto.
The skins are sold in graded and assorted bundles or lots, which buyers have an opportunity to view samples of during the inspection period before the auction. Buyers are predominantly brokers, buying on behalf of their furrier clients, or dealers or merchants whose companies sell finished skins to furriers or manufacturers around the world. The high value and volume of skins handled means that entrepot trade can have a high economic impact in countries which are not, in themselves, traditionally large markets for finished furs, for example, the United Kingdom.
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From the auction houses, collectors or merchants, the skins are sent to dressing and dyeing companies. The dressing process covers cleaning, softening, preserving and drying the pelts.
Today, all fur types can be dyed to create vibrant fashion colours, from conventional dark to very light pastel shades. Furs can also be tip-dyed or ìblendedî to produce a more consistent colour. In addition to solid colour, new techniques mean that the opportunities to create patterns and special effects are endless.
The skins are then graded into colour, size, length of hair and texture before being sent to the manufacturer.
The main international centres for dressing and processing the skins in this way are in the Baltic States, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy and Russia.
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Manufacturing of fur garments is a highly qualified profession, with many family-run businesses passing on traditional skills from generation to generation. The work requires meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail.
In some of the newer manufacturing markets, a wave of young people is joining the fur trade, learning these traditional skills as well as the latest technological developments. Yet even with new technology, manufacturing of fur pieces continues to be a predominantly manual task.
The manufacturing company or furrier may follow the patterns of its own in-house designer or may work with international design houses.
Today, fur can be worked in a range of different ways to make it lighter to wear, suiting the demands of a modern lifestyle. Some of the techniques used by furriers and manufacturers to lighten the garment are shearing, plucking, knitting, leathering and weaving.
The most important centres for manufacturing are Canada, China, Greece, Hong Kong and Russia. Other centres exist in France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Japan, Spain, Turkey, the Ukraine and the USA.
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Retailers from all over the world attend trade shows held each year in Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kastoria, Madrid, Milan, Montreal and Moscow. The shows allow even a small local furrier or fashion boutique to see the most up-to-date fur fashions and dyeing techniques and to buy the latest trends for the upcoming season.
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Today, fur garments and accessories reach the final consumer via a wide range of retail outlets - specialised fur shops, international designer boutiques, department stores and fashion boutiques.
Demand for fur exists worldwide, but the largest consuming markets are China, Germany, Italy, Korea, Japan, Russia and many of the former Soviet Republics, Spain and the USA. In general, demand is driven by economic, fashion and climatic conditions.
In recent years, fur has undergone a renaissance in the fashion world, with in excess of 350 leading international designers working with fur in their collections. In 2004/05 international sales of fur garments reached a value of US$ 12.770 billion.
To help inform consumers about the fur they are buying, the International Fur Trade Federation has introduced a labelling scheme for its European members, where all fur products sold to the consumer must carry a label stating the common name for the species in the local language and/or English together with the Latin scientific name. Since 2002, all IFTF Members have been required to introduce a fur labelling scheme in their country, if this does not already exist.
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