I’ve loved fur clothing since I was a little girl, as well as animals. I was very lucky because my parents indulged me in this. Growing up, I lived in towns or cities, but was allowed to nurse baby birds in my bedroom and bring home tadpoles to mature into frogs.

They also bought me a real fur hat, collar and muff for Christmas when I was six! These fur pieces were white with little black “tail” trim, but I’m quite sure they were rabbit, dressed up to look like ermine. They wouldn’t have been able to afford ermine, even if it had been available.

By the time I was a teenager, I’d graduated to raccoon. I had a red wool coat with a raccoon collar! When I grew out of that coat, I took off the collar, and with my mother’s help, turned it into a bonnet-type hat that I wore for a few more years. My mother had a mink boa and my grandmother a neckpiece made from three martens, complete with heads and tails, both of which I still cherish. (I’ve been known to wear the mink boa, but not the marten piece.)

I wish more kids today had these same opportunities! There are still some rabbit-lined kids’ hats around but mostly there is fake fur, or no fur. However, Canadian kids often do have rabbit-trimmed moccasin slippers at least, and many young women wear rabbit-trimmed mukluks. But how easy is it for them to “graduate” to raccoon or beaver or coyote? Thanks to the wide availability of parkas, a hood with a natural coyote ruff can be purchased in most Canadian cities today. But sadly most ruffs are fake fur, which doesn’t hold up well, and isn’t providing the warmth of a natural fur ruff.

SEE ALSO: Why fur trim keeps us warm. Truth About Fur.

The availability of other clothing trimmed with natural fur has been minimal for several years, outside of some large Canadian cities that still have wonderful fur salons. But in the last five to ten years the fashion industry has begun to show fur accessories more. A few designers have models wearing trapper-type hats, made entirely of coyote fur. Natural fur has also shown up on purses and even shoes (not just boots). More local artisans have begun to make fur trapper hats and large mitts or gauntlets that are popular with the snowmobile crowd.

SEE ALSO: Where to buy fur. Fur Council of Canada.

Other Canadian artisans have been making fur ruffs, collars, hats, etc. using wild fur for some time. For the past six years, I’ve been one of those artisans, but making fur-trimmed accessories, rather than full fur apparel.  I wanted the items I create to have a modern look and to be interesting, but also to be affordable.

Wearing fur accessories is possible for many more people than wearing a fur coat, warm and beautiful as they are. Availability and affordability to more Canadians may mean that wearing fur becomes more popular again. I think this is especially true for young kids and teens. Even having a toy with natural fur can make a child want more natural fur items later, I think. So I make a few toys too!

Learning As Much As Possible

When I embarked on what was meant to become my retirement hobby, I decided it was important that I learn as much about fur as possible, from trapping through to garment making. The Saskatchewan Trappers Association holds many courses for new trappers and I was fortunate to take one given by association president Wrangler Hamm in November 2014. He covered the basics about humane trapping, and there were demos on skinning and boarding a coyote and muskrat as well as the preparation of a beaver. But he also included a bit about sending pelts for tanning and having hats or mittens made from them as an additional way to add value to trapping. I hope that’s a part of all the trapper courses.

My love of animals led me to a professional career studying them. It also helped me bond with my husband who is a wildlife biologist. Although my own career has primarily dealt with the genetics of domestic animals, such as cattle and dogs, in the later years my research has included some dog ancestors – wolves and coyotes. That allowed me the chance to get “behind the scenes” at a fur auction. Trapper and trader friends and acquaintances had been supplying my samples of coyotes and wolves for several years, but I reached a point in my research where I needed many wolf samples in a variety of coat colors. Dave Bewick, long-time manager of the Winnipeg office of North American Fur Auctions, invited me to a sale in Toronto in February 2014 to make that possible. I could not believe how many beautiful pelts were there, when I arrived on the first day of the sale. I think I decided that day that I had to be able to “work with” such pelts more, but just how that could happen took several more months of planning.

I ordered some tanned fur online and purchased a few pelts from booths at local trade shows, initially. Although now I try to make an annual trip to Winnipeg, to source my year’s garment-tanned wild fur supply. During my first visit, Matthew Stepien of the family-run International Fur Dressers and Dyers, gave me a lesson in wild fur buying that was fantastic, and has continued to help me find the quality furs I’m looking for.

I also ordered a used fur sewing machine from Montreal. The salesperson kept asking me who was going to teach me how to operate it. All the furriers in Saskatchewan had passed away. Having sewn most of my own clothes, including coats, since I was a teenager, I didn’t see this as a problem. Boy was I wrong! A fur sewing machine operates entirely differently than a normal sewing machine used to sew cloth, or even a heavier leather sewing machine. A fur sewing machine needle is horizontal and comes toward you as you sew. The fur is fed from beneath the working surface. But I persisted and read what I could and watched YouTube videos, and gradually I was able to sew most of the fur I had purchased, except the beaver. I still sew beaver by hand, as do many other artisans.

Lighting Up Faces

Sewing with natural fur has become something I truly enjoy. And I’ve been very lucky because there seems to be a group of people that enjoy wearing what I make! I’ve had booths at several juried craft shows around Saskatoon in the past five years, before Covid hit.

One of the bonuses of being at a craft fair is the joy of watching so many people’s faces light up when they try on a fur-trimmed hat, even if they don’t buy it. A fellow artisan told me that mine was the “happy booth”. She said she often looked across the aisle and people were smiling, laughing, taking selfies, etc. as they chose a fur hat to try on.

Another plus for being at a craft fair is the instant feedback you get from people about what they like and what fits and what doesn’t. For a person who is a “new” artisan, this is very valuable. The younger the person, the more unusual the item they seem to choose! I was so glad to see teenagers and university students buying fur-trimmed items.

I’ve chosen Wear Our Heritage as my brand name because I want people to wear fur clothing and be proud of our Canadian fur heritage!

I try to give young kids a small item with fur, when they visit my booth with their Mom or Grandad. Or I invite them to try on and play with the hand puppets.

The local “fair” or Exhibition in Saskatoon doesn’t have booths with baked goods or jams any more, but it does have the Saskatchewan Art Showcase that includes photography, painting, and crafts divisions. I try to submit the allowed three items each year, as another way to get natural fur in the public eye.

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Late last year, the Fur Council of Canada launched the inaugural Fur Design Competition for young designers residing in Canada, and in February the 12 winners were announced. These talented youngsters will shortly be attending a week-long, all-inclusive workshop hosted at Ryerson University in Toronto, under the expert tutelage of designer Farley Chatto.

So what inspires these fledgling designers? Truth About Fur fired the same three questions at each to see what we could learn. Maybe their answers will, in turn, inspire entrants in next year's competition, who should also read our post Insider Tips from Fur Competition Judges.

Raven Scott

Who are you in terms of design?

I am an innovative artist who always tries to put my culture forward in every design that I make. In this way I make every garment that I design personal to me, no matter what the project is.

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

I love design because it tells a story and helps bring out a person’s character. Whether it be your mood for the day or your overall aesthetic, how we dress is an expression, and it's amazing to see how different we all are when expressing ourselves.

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

I always like to try new things, and before this competition, I have never worked with fur, nor have I ever designed a fur garment. But I was up for the challenge, and the outcome was more than amazing.

Chelsey Jussaume

Who are you in terms of design?

I design feminine clothing for all people who desire to stand out.

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

Fashion has a way of communicating who I am without having to speak. Authenticity and sustainability are at the heart of my designs. I create pieces focusing on garment structure and material manipulation, with the goal of conveying emotion. I often use fur to add uniqueness to a garment, and because it can be recycled many times.

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

I entered the contest wanting to challenge myself to create ready-to-wear garments that would please many people while using fur in unconventional ways. To me, natural materials are one of the many solutions to tackle the fashion industry’s climate impact. As a young designer, I acknowledge my responsibility to create clothing that is long-lasting, of good quality and easily upcycled.

Vincent Domingo

Who are you in terms of design?

In terms of design, I am more into haute couture designs where manipulations, embroideries and embellishments are my kind of detailed finishing.

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

Everything around us can be an inspiration in creating our own designs, and that’s what I love about designing. It brings out the beauty in everything and I think the fur itself will give an extra detail to our designs.

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

I joined the Fur Design Competition because I want to explore things about fur. I think it has a lot of things to offer, not just about designs but on how to create pieces into it from illustration to construction.

Etienne Levi

Who are you in terms of design?

Futurism, avant-garde, exoticism, empowerment and seduction usually inspire my designs.

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

Fashion and design in general always reflected the Zeitgeist. Through time, designers of the world have shown their culture through their own hands and eyes. I believe that we are now living in a world that is finally focusing on its problematics. There is now a bright light shining on our over-consuming habits and their effects on nature. I believe as an aspiring designer that it is finally time to understand the ravaging effects of massive production and start to slow down. Future Fashion needs to be more ecofriendly, more valuable, and more inclusive. Fur is an amazing material to achieve these goals.

Furthermore, one can always work with old fur to regenerate another completely different product. There is no waste because it is possible to work with leftovers to create jewelry, accessories or make a completely new fur plate that can be used to cut another garment later. For all these reasons and for its unique softness and warmth, I believe fur is one of the best sustainable materials to design with.

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

Working already with fur for about a year, I have learned to make designs with it. I wanted to show my own vision of the theme “Future Heritage”, that inspired me a lot. In addition, the reward really convinced me to participate. Indeed, it is not so difficult to include fur in my garments, but it has important inherent characteristics to think of. I really wanted to be invited to the intensive practice in Toronto not only to get better at sewing and crafting fur, but also to learn tips from professionals on how to cut it, how to spot flaws, and how to improve the quality of the product in general to avoid using too much.

Hannah Walkes

Who are you in terms of design?

I am someone who likes to explore the natural aspects of design and integrate nature into my designs.

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

I love the freedom to make my visions and contemplate how I can make my vision a reality. I think fur would add a flair to my designs, and I would try to expand my natural designs to have a more animalistic side to them.

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

I wanted to partake in the competition because I have always wanted to learn about different types of furs and try and bring back the use of fur into everyday life.

Yassine Touati

Who are you in terms of design?

I am an accessories and jewelry designer. My design emanates from three essential elements: passion for the material, power of the color, and structure of the shape/symbolic of the pattern. It marries craftsmanship and technology, finding innovative ways to shape and sculpt the primary medium, always conscious of its fascinating physical properties and cultural dimensions.

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

I love the creative process of bringing to life ideas and designs with all the challenges and excitement of innovation. I enjoy creating a story and stepping outside of my comfort zone. Fur, its history, and heritage have inspired me. My primary working medium is leather in all its diversity and potential, and spontaneously I sensed a form of a natural dialogue between leather and fur. Fur is the continuation of my journey working with beautiful, sustainable raw materials. Fur is changing my design approach, my understanding of 3D modeling. I have reached excellence in leather, and I would like to achieve that in fur and marry the two materials together in beautifully crafted and designed winter accessories.

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

I have always been fascinated with fur as a material, and I admired the late genius, Karl Lagerfeld. He marveled with fur design for over 50 years at Fendi. As a young designer who recently moved to Montreal, when I read about the Fur Council of Canada competition, I decided to submit my candidacy as a new adventure and a daring opportunity to create and innovate using fur. Despite the challenging times around the world and the fur industry's uncertain future, I have tremendous faith in the future laying ahead for fur design in technology and innovation and the fur industry in business development and especially sustainability. Fur will remain as emblematic of Canada and Canadian heritage as the maple leaf/syrup. I aspire to carry out creativity and innovation in fur design for my generation as a Canadian haute couture, artisanal and prestigious industry.

Austin Bergeron

Who are you in terms of design?

I am constantly focused on shape, fit and silhouette. Proposing new shapes and silhouettes is the only thing that fuels my need and desire to design. To be honest, it’s the only reason I’m here, because it’s the one main aspect of design that I’m good at.

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

Design gives us an opportunity to reinterpret how we, as humans, represent ourselves. This is one of the reasons why I love design. We get to infuse our feelings and emotions into our designs which help us incapsulate a certain shape or feel. Fur represents an array of these different feelings and emotions, warmth, luxury, comfort, etc. Therefore, designing with fur opens the door to new schools of thought.

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

Design competitions give students an opportunity to showcase their skills and I wanted to showcase mine. Although I’ve never worked with fur, I felt that it was an interesting design element, and it sparked a lot of inspiration within me. I’m extremely happy that I entered the Canadian Fur Atelier design competition and look forward to entering more in the future.

Vishali Sitharthan

Who are you in terms of design?

I am an aspiring designer looking forward to learning and creating new innovations.

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

Designing makes me feel alive and powerful. Putting my ideas and thoughts together inspires me to thrive more. Designing and creating garments taught me to be patient; all good things take time to make, like how it takes nine months for a baby to come out. It takes time. Every time I make something, I feel like I am giving birth to a baby; I thoroughly enjoy every process and aspect of my creation. Moreover, I think using fur gives dimension and interesting texture to my ideas. It also elevates the look of my design and brings luxury with a timeless look.

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

The challenge and complexity of the competition attracted me to do research. As a student, I have significantly fewer possibilities to work with fur and do research about it. This competition gave me a chance to do so. While participating in this competition, I had an excellent opportunity to learn about different techniques and finish of fur. I was also excited about the workshop to learn about fur; knowledge of working with skin can improve my garment skills.

Prudence Mekongue

Who are you in terms of design?

I am a designer who loves creating classic looks while incorporating sustainable fashion, be it through upcycling or recycling materials.

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

Design is a form of expression. While its an outlet, my design process is a chaotic space where I get to learn something new and challenge myself.

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

Firstly, I love fur because it reminds me of my heritage. The competition gave me room to translate why I love fur by using the theme "Future Heritage". I therefore entered the competition because this theme redefines what I interpreted as purposeful design for the future.

Carson Feng

Who are you in terms of design?

I am a designer that focuses on modern silhouettes that balance simple elegance with creative intricacy.

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

I love solving problems through design and being able to bring my imagination into reality. This is especially true for fashion design. Working with fur makes me more sustainably-conscious, being more considerate of fashion’s impact on our planet and how we as young designers intend to navigate this problem.

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

Fur is a unique textile that is important to Canadian ancestry, and I wanted to prove my skills as a Canadian designer.

Erica Lugt

Who are you in terms of design?

I am resilient, healing doing my part reconciling through the love of indigenous fashion!

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

Fur is sexy; imagine tying in your ancestral designs with a modern twist!

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

To gain skills to create modern sustainable clothing while inspired by our traditional designs.

Olivia Chislett

Who are you in terms of design?

I am 23 and up till now have only done designs for fun, heavily based around my culture.

What do you love most about design, and how do you think fur can elevate your work?

I love the different ways you can express beauty and ideas with designs, and the sheer amount of variety that comes when people of different backgrounds are able to share their designs. Nature has made such beautiful and unique things through fur, and fur is so deeply steeped in many cultures' traditional clothing. Adding fur adds a sense of quality, beauty, and comfort to the clothing.

What inspired you to enter the Fur Design Competition?

I'm always very excited about indigenous futurism, and loved the idea of sharing some designs. I figured it wouldn't hurt to give things a shot and share some designs.

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Last month, the 12 winners were announced of Canada's inaugural National Fur Designers Competition, judged by four Canadians all with their fingers firmly on the pulse of the fashion business: stylist Shea Hurley, designers D'Arcy Moses and Sage Paul, and model Stacey McKenzie. Later this year – Covid permitting – the fur competition winners will enjoy an all-inclusive workshop in Toronto under the expert tutelage of stylist to the stars Farley Chatto.

So how did the judges get to where they are today, and what advice do they have for the next generation? Truth About Fur found out.

Shea Hurley, Fashion Stylist

Grounded in fashion communications, buying, design and sales, Shea is now a sought-after fashion stylist. Her sense of style has helped top-tier advertisers and brands retain their edge as she strives to create value, inspire trends, and drive growth. To learn more, visit Shea's agency, Plutino Group, and her Instagram account sheahurley, or drop her a line at [email protected].

Truth About Fur: If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring young designers, what would it be?

Shea Hurley: Be professional. Respect yourself enough to know your vision, what you're trying to say with your offering, and stay consistent with that message. This, with proper business management, will give your brand integrity. Fashion and apparel design is a long game – you learn with every garment, every collection, every season. Constantly.

With that, do your homework, know your market, competitors and potential collaborators. No designer is an island. Have grit, and humility, be tenacious with flexibility and malleability. Build your network wisely.

TAF: When did you know you wanted to be a stylist?

Shea: Ha, I still don't know that I want to be a stylist! It has been 15-plus years that I have absolutely loved and hated, but that's part of it. It's a part of me.

Seriously though, I fell into styling from wanting to be an agent or buyer, and was really great at it right out the gate. I have learned so much, seen so many places, met so many incredible people, all while playing dress up and creating so many different stories along the way.

TAF: Tell us about your life as a stylist.

Shea: Well, to be honest it's quite a balancing act. As much as it is about the clothes, it's more about the vision and players in each project. Lots of different personalities and tons of work, from sending pull requests to designers, showroom pulls, in store and online shopping to packing and unpacking, just to pack and unpack again. Writing carnets for customs, waiting on deliveries, pick ups, etc. Laying everything out neatly and safely, to then build looks. Steaming those looks for them to be wrinkled and steamed again, taping shoes to save the soles, pinning and clipping clothes to fit and/or hang properly, cleaning makeup off clothing and accessories. Chasing photographers who waltz models through fields, dirty alleys, puddles, mud, the list goes on. Dry-cleaning, mending rips, tears, button loss, etc. Organizing all the receipts and balancing budgets to fit the sometimes four-page expense reports. Keeping clients as well as merchants happy and satisfied on the same project can be a very difficult task that requires lots of tact, thank you cards and bottles of wine as gifts for everyone's special occasions. And then onto the next project. The stress truly never ends. But all in all it is very fulfilling and I do love it.

There are plenty of perks too. Working with incredible pieces of clothing that are history in the making, alongside dynamic people (models, celebrities, personalities, designers, creatives, photographers), to build an idea from the ground up fuels me. Fashion shows are a tremendous amount of work but also can be so magical and inspiring to attend and work on. Same for events. The networking never ends, so as enjoyable as it is to socialise within the industry, it is still and always will be work. Needless to say, I love what I do.

D'Arcy Moses, Fashion Designer

As an infant, D’Arcy was adopted by a white family in Alberta, and didn't learn he was Slavey Indian until he was 18. He has since reconnected with his roots, while going from starving artist to celebrated designer, with a passion for trendy clothes incorporating First Nations elements. For more on his remarkable journey, read "D'Arcy's big bet" by Up Here magazine.

Truth About Fur: What advice would you give to aspiring designers?

D'Arcy Moses: Be yourself. If you have a great design concept – one that's honest, from the heart – then use it. Work hard toward this. There is no free easy street with design; it takes dedication and hard work.

TAF: When did you know you wanted to be a fashion designer?

D'Arcy: I was about 12 years old and I was leafing through one of my mother's Harper's Bazaar magazines. It was a photograph of Yves Saint Laurent with Catherine Deneuve. A black velvet dress with a huge pink bow, back of the dress. Iconic. There was an energy there. I knew that this was what I wanted to do. Couture.

TAF: How did you get to where you are today?

D'Arcy: It all started in Vancouver. I was a young Dene man – 19 years old – who wanted to design. I bought my first sewing machine from a pawnshop on East Hastings Street for $60. I felt freedom for the first time. After that, I could only afford to buy beautiful cloth (pure silks) at about 10 centimetres at a time. I was a waiter at a Whitespot Restaurant, and saved every dime. There is no shame in being a waiter. It's honest, hard work, and I kind of loved that job.

Then I got a grant from the then Canadian Native Arts Foundation [renamed the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation in 1997 and Indspire in 2012] of $1,600 - a king's ransom for a young designer. So I used this to build a collection that was shown at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Then I decided to move to Toronto, and driving across Canada was beautiful. I got to Toronto and was poor, poor, poor! But a new life lay ahead!

I was making stretchy tube dresses to sell on the streets of Toronto. I was looking for a label manufacturer and accidentally dialled the Toronto Fashion Incubator. I remember asking the woman on the phone – her name was Mimi – for a label manufacturer. She said no, but put me in touch with the Incubator's director at the time, Carol Outram. I met her, she looked through my drawings of my designs, and then slammed my portfolio shut. I was terrified.  She told me, "In a few years, you will be famous."

After that, I applied to the Toronto Festival of Fashion / New Labels, and was accepted. More hard work followed, and I was still buying fabrics by the centimetre. I was working at the then Simpsons department store in the basement at minimum wage.

Then my collection took off and the press took notice, plus very good friends supported me. And then came licenses. The retail landscape has changed, but it's looking good so far!

SEE ALSO: D'Arcy Moses: First Nations heritage inspires modern fur designs. Truth About Fur.

Sage Paul, Fashion Designer

Sage is a member of the English River First Nation, based in Toronto. She is an award-winning artist and designer, and artistic director of Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto. See her full bio at Sagepaul.com.

Truth About Fur: If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring designers, what would it be?

Sage Paul: Keep at it! It’s a challenging road to making a career in fashion, but it is totally realistic and possible if you keep at it.

TAF: When did you know you wanted to be a designer?

Sage: When I was just a little girl! I was inspired and encouraged by the women in my community to create, and so I did, because I loved it.

TAF: Tell us something about your designer life.

Sage: My designer life has shifted these days to focusing on Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto (IFWTO). It’s important to me to create this space for Indigenous designers before I can get back to design.

Stacey McKenzie, Model

Born in Jamaica, Stacey is a model, TV personality and motivational speaker. She has appeared in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Interview, Essence and Flare, and in ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Jean Paul Gaultier and MAC Cosmetics. She has been a judge on both America's and Canada’s Next Top Model. To learn more, visit her on staceymckenzie.com, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Truth About Fur: If you could give one piece of advice to young designers, what would it be?

Stacey McKenzie: My advice to aspiring designers is to never give up. I've met quite a lot of aspiring fashion designers within Canada and they focus on making it in Canada, but when it doesn't happen, they give up. They need to push themselves by not being so comfortable, try other cities/countries, try to get people to rock their clothing, put themselves out there and don't give up on making it.

TAF: When did you know you wanted to be a model?

Stacey: At the age of nine I learned that modelling is a career, and I learned what it takes to be a model and knew right away that's what I wanted to be. I felt within my heart I was meant to be a model, and was persistent because I felt so strongly about it. I was different looking, and even though I got a lot of negative attention, I realised I was getting attention which I took as a positive thing and that it could work in my best interest becoming a model. When I moved to Toronto, I learned more about fashion through shows like FashionTelevision and Fashion File, plus I had the opportunity to see and buy fashion magazines which doesn't exist in my country.

TAF: Tell us about the Walk Camp.

Stacey: The Walk Camp is a camp I started for young girls within inner city neighbourhoods who wouldn't necessarily have the opportunity to be mentored by the likes of certain people within their respective fields. I grew up in these same communities and know what it felt like to not have someone or people guide me the right way, so I wanted to create a day camp giving the 30 girls I choose every summer the opportunity to be mentored by professionals. Some of the mentors include the former High Commissioner of Canada Laurie Ann Peters, host of Toronto's Breakfast Television Dina Pugliese, host of CityLine Tracy Moore, fashion designers Sunny Fong and Farley Chatto, singer Liberty Silver, plus many more. The Walk Camp recently launched in Jamaica, the country of my birth, which I am really excited about because that's where my journey began. It's been a blessing.

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A fresh opportunity is coming soon for future designers to receive a holistic education on working with fur, against a backdrop of its cultural and historical importance to British Columbia's Indigenous First Nations.

The Learning Hub of Education and Design School will be held in Alert Bay on the 'Namgis Indigenous First Nations Traditional Territory of Vancouver Island. It’s a product of a partnership among BC's First Nations, Pacific Balance Marine Management Inc., and Nanaimo-based FurCanada. The ultimate aim of this partnership is to re-establish sealing and the fur trade as an important player in the economy of BC, where commercial sealing ended in the early 1970s. The Learning Hub executive would like to thank the 'Namgis First Nations for sponsoring this program.

Pacific Balance Marine Management Inc. is a First Nations group pushing for a license to sell pinniped products, including furs, human and pet food, and seal oil. FurCanada, which will organise the Learning Hub, is a fur manufacturing company in Nanaimo specialising in luxurious home décor, including blankets, pillows, floor coverings, garments, furniture and accessories. It is also known for its museum-quality taxidermy mounts.

FurCanada CEO and president Calvin Kania had hoped to welcome the inaugural batch of students this March, but Covid-19 has pushed the launch back to at least November. Once the green light is given to proceed, 25 students will engage in 10 days of intensive study, with all materials, tools, machinery, accommodation, meals, transportation, field trips and instructors covered by a nominal fee of $500 per head. Prior experience will not be a factor in the selection process, but prospective participants must demonstrate a genuine interest in learning about fur, including its history. For full details and updates about applying, see FurCanada's website.

Expert Instruction

Instruction will be provided by two experts with extensive international résumés.

Heading the program will be Prof. Vasilis Kardasis, who is currently FurCanada's Innovation and Design Director responsible for the company's Seal Fur Workshops. He is a visiting professor at the Royal College of Art in London, England, and has done stints at Dior, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Saga Furs, and Studio NAFA.

Assisting him will be Panagiotis "Panos" Panagiotidis, currently Master Furrier and Production Manager at FurCanada. Like Prof. Kardasis, Panagiotidis has years of experience working with European fur companies, and the two previously cooperated in organising the Summer Fur School in Kastoria, Greece.

Under their tutelage, students will work with a range of furs, including seal, beaver, mink, sable, fox and coyote. They will practice stretching and nailing (“blocking”) skins, and proper handling of a fur knife when cutting pelts to fit a pattern. They will also be taught how to sew furs and leathers – including smoked-tanned moose, elk or deer – by machine and by hand. And they'll work with textiles ranging from traditional hemp to modern, high-tech fabrics. Plus they'll spend half a day covering the basics of one of FurCanada's specialties, taxidermy.

To broaden their understanding of the fur trade still further, students will take field trips to a mink farm (Covid permitting), a trapline, and a fur retailer, and they'll take part in a First Nations seal harvest where they will learn proper retrieval and how to remove hides, blubber and meat.

Special Advisors, Guest Speakers

In devising the Learning Hub program, FurCanada wanted to reflect the strong roots Canada's modern fur trade has in the 4,000-year-old culture and heritage of the First Nations. For this, it was imperative to bring the right advisors on board.

This role has been filled by three British Columbians, who will also serve as guest speakers: Chief Roy S. Jones Jr. of the Haida Gwaii First Nations; Tom Sewid, artist and commercial fisherman, of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations; and Chief Brian Wadhams of the 'Namgis First Nations.

Other guest speakers will represent fur retailing, trapping, fur farming, fur manufacturing, taxidermy, auction houses, tanning, and industry associations. There will also be government officials on hand to explain the importance of environmental protection and animal welfare in this most regulated of industries.

Last but not least, two special slots have been reserved for media representatives to join the program, so they too will learn about the fur trade and be able to tell our story. "We want the world to know First Nations fur trappers and the Canadian fur trade are here to stay, to revive, to flourish and to succeed," says Kania.

Why Teaching Matters

While the Learning Hub program is new, it's not FurCanada's first foray into the world of teaching: last March it launched a series of Seal Fur Workshops. So what drives Kania and his team to educate others?

"Perseverance and passion for the trade, passion for fur trappers, passion for Canada’s cultural heritage and our country’s history. There wouldn’t be a Canada today if it were not for the fur trade," says Kania. "And above all, passion for the animals that were sustainably harvested with the world's top state-of-the-art traps – which happen to be the most humane trapping devices available anywhere.

"I come from a fur trapping family, so it was very important to me that this element of the trade takes a leading role in this program. Fur schools have come and gone over the years, but none that I can recall enveloped the entire trade in one program. No other country has all the elements as Canada does – wild fur, farm-raised fur, trappers, fur auction houses, furriers, manufacturers, designers, tanners, and fur traders.

SEE ALSO: Trapline Tales: Greasy Bill Creek, my father's final resting place. By Calvin Kania for Truth About Fur.

"And of course there's my passion for Indigenous First Nations people and their struggle within Canada. Among many issues facing the fur industry, the trade itself will have to come to terms at some point in acknowledging Indigenous reconciliation. Now, more than ever, is the right time to change the channel on how our trade functions. It’s time we think outside the box and make some radical changes if we wish to see it survive another 400 years. It starts with educating young people, one person at a time."

So is this how the Learning Hub fits into Kania's vision?

"Yes. In general terms, we want to ensure the preservation and continuation of the fur trade in Canada and also worldwide," he says. "And for the Canadian industry to survive and succeed in the 21st century, we must reach out to our most important benefactor, ally and the original producers of fur – the First Nations. The fur trade existed and flourished among First Nations long before white settlers arrived on our shores."

More specifically, the Learning Hub curriculum is designed to give students a combination of practical skills and the knowledge they will need to go out into the world and represent the fur trade accurately.

"For the fur designers and furriers of tomorrow to prosper, they should acquire as much knowledge as possible, not just about working with fur, but also where it comes from and its history," says Kania. "Learning Hub students will be the future of the trade, and we must give them the necessary tools to carry us forward."

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In response to an unexpected shortage this year of opportunities for aspiring fur designers, the Canadian fur trade has launched a whole new competition. Ten lucky winners of the inaugural Student Fur Design Competition will enjoy an all-expenses-paid week-long workshop, learning not only techniques for working with fur, but also why fur is a responsible choice in an age when we are all being called upon to wear sustainable and ethical clothing.

The competition was launched on October 28, but the deadline for entries is not until January 15, so there's still plenty of time folks!

What makes this competition special is that it's truly a group effort, with the list of contributors reading like a who's who of the Canadian fur trade. In alphabetical order we have the Canada Mink Breeders Association, the Fur Council of Canada, Fur Harvesters Auction, the Fur Institute of Canada, International Fur Dressers and Dyers, the Ontario Fur Breeders Association, the Ontario Fur Managers Federation, and the Seals and Sealing Network. Coordinating them all is Melanie Calandra, Managing Director of Canadian Relations for the International Fur Federation - Americas Region.

The workshop itself will be held at Ryerson University in downtown Toronto, under the auspices of Canadian Fur Atelier, a new name for an old hand, Farley Chatto, who is both a Ryerson professor and designer in residence at Four Seasons Furs.

Successor to Studio NAFA

The competition is not so much a new idea as a response to fill a gap created by two major developments, explains coordinator Melanie.

"In 2007, North American Fur Auctions launched Studio NAFA, a series of annual workshops for aspiring fur designers, led by none other than Farley Chatto. But when NAFA closed its doors in 2019, that meant the end of the workshops too."

Then came Covid-19, and the fur trade's premier international design competition, REMIX, had to be cancelled.

"The International Fur Federation, which organises REMIX in collaboration with Vogue Italia and Vogue Talents, just couldn't go ahead due to travel restrictions," says Melanie. "And that was when we reached out to Farley and Fur Harvesters Auction with the idea of launching a whole new event.”

Pandemic Concessions

Still, concessions have had to be made to the pandemic. Unlike Studio NAFA and REMIX, which were both open to designers from around the world, for this year at least the Student Fur Design Competition will be strictly a national event, open only to Canadian students and recent graduates.

"When Covid-19 is behind us, who knows what the future may hold," says Melanie. "But for now, we are happy to provide an opportunity for our fellow countrymen at least."

Also reflecting life under lockdown, the competition stage - during which winners will be selected to take part in the workshop - will be held entirely online. Using their imaginations only and no actual furs, entrants will sketch three designs incorporating furs produced in Canada: mink, fox, beaver, raccoon, seal, muskrat, coyote, fisher and sable/marten.

Winners will then use those same furs for real at the Toronto workshop, which is scheduled for August, but no date has been cast in stone.

"Covid permitting, August is the target," says Melanie. "But of course our priority will be everyone's safety, so if we need to reschedule, we'll do so, no question."

Highlighting Sustainability, Ethics

Aside from inspiring students to get creative with fur, the competition's organisers have another very clear goal.

"This is more than just a design competition," says Melanie. "Of course the workshop will cover fashion trends and innovative techniques for working with different furs, and we want participants to explore the versatility of this unique, natural material. But just as important, we want them to understand fur's environmental and ethical credentials."

Today's fashion industry is dominated by fast fashion, she explains, much of which is made of synthetic materials derived from petroleum. Petroleum is non-renewable and therefore unsustainable, its extraction and processing are polluting, and materials produced from it don't biodegrade.

"The fashion industry as a whole is now being challenged to be more environmentally responsible, and fur is one of the most environmentally friendly clothing materials around. So the workshop will look at the sustainability of fur in every area of the trade, from farming to trapping to dressing to manufacturing."

"We'll talk about the 52,000 tons of food waste Canada's fur farms divert from landfills each year, how the manure is used as fertilizer, and mink oil makes biodiesel. We'll talk about the role played by trappers in wildlife management and the protection of endangered species. We'll talk about the importance of trapping in keeping remote communities viable. And we'll put all this in the context of a fashion industry dominated by synthetics, and of the importance, now more than ever before, of shopping sustainably. Why buy a coat for a season when you can buy one to last a lifetime?"

The workshop will also examine the ethics of using animals for human benefit, with an emphasis on the importance of animal welfare.

"It is vital that fur designers of tomorrow know the realities of the modern fur trade so they are equipped to defend what they do," explains Melanie. "They need to know why fur is an ethical choice, and why the narrative pushed by animal rights groups is so misleading.

"Today's youth are a socially and environmentally aware generation, and our workshop will give future fur designers a solid platform from which to demonstrate why natural fur is the responsible choice."

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I hate to say "I told you so!" but only a fool could not have seen this coming. A few short years ago, while clearly being manipulated by animal rights groups, a wave of designer brands very publicly announced they would be dropping fur. Inevitably, they are now being pressured to drop exotic skins too, and many are capitulating. After all, how can fur be bad, but exotic skins ok? The question now is: how much of their core business are the big luxury conglomerates ready to sacrifice on the altar of political correctness?

Indeed, all the arguments for and against fur and exotic skins are essentially the same. On the one hand, both are beautiful natural materials, and if produced responsibly, they're renewable and sustainable, leaving a negligible environmental footprint. On the other hand, both involve the taking of life, which animal rights groups oppose on principle and work hard to present as cruel. For a contemporary twist, those same groups now also claim that trading in furs and exotic skins increases the risk of pandemics like Covid-19.

Yet this time around, advocates of sustainable use are hoping for some stiffer resistance, and specifically from two of the world's largest luxury goods conglomerates, LVMH and Kering. Not only do their corporate policies strongly endorse sustainability, but they are also invested in their supply chains for exotic skins. It seems unlikely they will abandon these investments without a fight.

SEE ALSO: Fur is a sustainable natural resource. Truth About Fur.

As a subplot to the bigger story, the fur trade should watch Kering subsidiary Gucci closely. This iconic brand rocked the fashion world in 2017 when it dropped fur in the name of "sustainability". If it now dumps exotic skins, that would at least be consistent. But if it toes the Kering line and sticks with exotic skins, how will it explain the double standard?

So What Are "Exotic Skins"?

But first, let's clarify what an "exotic skin" is. It's a loose category used by the Western fashion industry mostly for the skins of reptiles - snakes, crocodilians, and lizards. Some fish are in there too, like stingrays and sharks. And then there are ostriches. (The jury seems to be out on whether kangaroo leather is exotic or not.)

Some animals are taken in the wild - obviously stingrays and sharks - but most are now farmed, with ostrich and croc farming having long histories. As for where the skins end up, most are used for shoes, bags and belts, plus a few jackets and hats.

To put the current exodus from exotic skins in context, we need to turn the clock back just four years or so. For two decades, animal rights groups - led by PETA and HSUS - had been pressuring designers to drop fur. And then suddenly, the dominoes started to fall. Armani, Hugo Boss, Versace, Gucci, John Galliano, Burberry, Prada - the list just kept on growing.

A very few, like Donatella Versace, seemed genuinely happy to drop fur, but all were either nudged gently or prodded hard by PETA and HSUS. And when they succumbed, they usually felt compelled to make public statements against fur that inevitably made it harder for other fur-using brands to stand their ground.

And to make it harder still, animal rights groups made sure these brands got lots of press coverage and showered them with "green" points. Yes, "green", because this mass defection from fur was not couched in animal rights terms, and only partially as animal welfare. Above all, we were told, it was about "sustainability". In short, by ditching fur, these brands were saving the planet!

SEE ALSO: Why is Giorgio Armani really quitting fur? Truth About Fur.

Gucci's "Sustainability" Claim Slammed

None of the new converts appeared more opportunistic -- or misinformed -- than Gucci, previously such a prolific user of fur. And to make matters worse, Gucci is seen as a leader in the luxury sector, so its influence on other brands and the negative press it generated for fur were tremendous.

In 2017, Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri raised the eyebrows of anyone who understood sustainability when he announced the company's new policy. Dropping fur, he explained, was a demonstration of “our absolute commitment to making sustainability an intrinsic part of our business.” So, bizarrely, it was goodbye to renewable, biodegradable, natural fur, and hello to non-biodegradable fake fur made from non-renewable petroleum.

SEE ALSO: Fur-free Gucci policy contradicts company's "sustainability" claims. Truth About Fur.

As if that were not bizarre enough, conspicuous by its absence was any suggestion by Bizzarri that Gucci might drop exotic skins. His animal rights handlers were also silent on the subject, but was he really naive enough to think that would last?

In fact, for several years Gucci's parent company, Kering, has been in a partnership with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in a conservation and sustainable use project farming pythons. Cooperative ventures of this type are now commonplace for species in the exotic skin trade, securing supply chains while relieving pressure on wild populations, not least by reducing poaching. In short, Kering's python farm is the epitome of sustainability.

So sooner or later Gucci will have to address a quandary of its own making. An estimated 85% of fur today comes from farms (and wild-fur harvesting is strictly regulated), but Bizzarri says the trade is unsustainable. Meanwhile, Kering supplies his company with farmed python skins. Will Gucci now defy Kering and drop exotic skins too? Or will it make the totally unsupportable claim that snake farming is sustainable but fur farming is not?

First to Fold: Chanel

First to fall among exotic skin users was independent fashion house Chanel, in 2018, and it came out of the blue. Designer Karl Lagerfeld told Women's Wear Daily it was "a free choice" rather than “being imposed on us. We did it because it’s in the air," implying that animal rights groups were not directly involved. It was generally assumed that Chanel's weak supply chain for exotic skins meant it could no longer meet its needs, so it just threw in the towel.

Whatever Chanel's motivation, it went public with the decision and PETA made a big song and dance over it, so they both got their free publicity.

And then, as in the fur exodus, others followed suit, all garnering the same free publicity and lavish praise from animal rights groups.

Since last year, the following brands have sworn off exotic skins, and there are surely others: Victoria Beckham, Jil Sander, Paul Smith, Mulberry, Vivienne Westwood, Diane von Furstenberg, SMCP (parent of Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot and De Fursac), and PVH (owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger). Retailers Selfridges, Brooks Brothers, Topshop, and H&M won't be stocking exotic skins anymore, and Nordstrom will phase them out by the end of 2021. And three fashion weeks so far have banned them: Melbourne, Helsinki and Stockholm.

But LVMH Calls Fur and Exotic Skins "Precious"

Yet perversely, this latest triumph of animal rights over sustainable use may be a blessing in disguise - the wakeup call the luxury industry needs to say enough is enough. Both LVMH and Kering are committed to exotic skins and fur, and while they don't dictate what materials their subsidiaries use, they have huge influence. They also have a public voice, so if they're ever going to make a strong stand in support of sustainable use, now is the time.

LVMH oversees such household names in fashion as Celine, Christian Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Louis Vitton, Marc Jacobs, among many others. Kering's stable is smaller but nonetheless impressive. In addition to Gucci, it represents names like Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen.

So it was gratifying that at its virtual annual shareholders' meeting last June, LVMH issued a strong endorsement of both exotic skins and fur.

As a shareholder, PETA emailed a question asking whether LVMH would be giving up fur and exotic skins "as of today". Group managing director Antonio Belloni responded (at 46:28): "This is a recurring question on their part. Now, our position is that natural raw materials constitute a precious material and are at the heart of the outstanding products of our houses. Each house can decide on these materials, but must strictly comply with our code of practice pertaining to responsible sourcing of animal raw materials that sets out long-term commitments in three areas: traceability of supplies, animal welfare, and lastly the respect for local populations, the environment, and biodiversity."

The problem is, this endorsement didn't grab any headlines, but that just underscores the lack of media clout sustainable users have compared with animal rights groups. If LVMH had come out against exotic skins and fur, PETA and HSUS would have had the story on every front page from New York to Shanghai. Bottom line: there is a story here, and we just need to be more effective at telling it.

As animal rights groups continue to pressure luxury conglomerates to drop exotic skins and fur, the fur trade should be looking to revitalise the strategic alliance it has long had with these corporations, and demand they stand up and be counted. And if clueless Gucci continues to embrace exotic skins while rejecting fur, we should demand to know why.

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Like so many in the industry, Dan Kahnert’s relationship with fur is a family affair. “My great-grandfather learned the fur trade in Germany and came to Canada in the late 1800s. His son, my grandfather, moved to Toronto where he would travel around taking orders, and then cut and sew coats in his home. It was my father, Allan, who opened our first showroom on Avenue Road in 1957, where Kahnert’s is still located.

“I would help out at the store on weekends, and decided by the end of high school that I wanted to join the family business. That’s what I did in 1984, after completing my degree in economics and business at the University of Western Ontario. I arrived home with all my college furniture and everything on April 30 and began working full-time in the store the next day; it was storage season and there was no time for a break!

“We worked hard, six days a week, but I enjoyed the challenges of running a business, being our own bosses, analysing problems and implementing a plan. My older brothers, Bernie and John, were already working at the store with my father, and John and I still run the business together today. It really helped that dad was very open to letting us try new ideas, like when I brought in computers in the 1990s.”

"A Pleasure Doing Business"

So what does Dan like best about being a retail furrier?

“In addition to working with my brother and running our own business, what I enjoy most is the opportunity to meet lots of new people. While not every customer is easy, as everyone working in retail knows, generally we meet lots of very nice people. When we say, ‘It’s been a pleasure doing business with you,’ it’s not just a cliché, it really is how we feel.”

We are proud to do our part to promote fur on behalf of all the people who make up this uniquely Canadian heritage industry!

“Fur retailing does have one very important advantage: we see our customers twice a year, for storage pick-up and delivery. This continuing relationship with our customers is quite unique. When customers come into the store in the Fall to pick up their coats, we have an opportunity to show them our new collections, and a large proportion of our sales are to repeat customers. Repairs, alterations, and remodelling are also important parts of our business, and, again, we have an opportunity to discuss these options with our customers at storage time.

“But the bottom line is that, as a retailer, your success depends on satisfying your customer. We are located in a wonderful residential neighbourhood and therefore do not rely on tourist sales that might occur in downtown Toronto. We rely on community word of mouth with support from our online business. We have one of the city’s best collections of high-quality coats, and we work hard to take good care of every customer."

Adapting to Animal Rights Campaigns

How has the business changed over the years?

“There’s no way around it, aggressive animal rights campaigning has hurt us," says Dan. "Most people still love fur, but the activists have made them feel nervous about wearing it. Some of these intimidation campaigns are really a form of violence against women, which is very sad.

“Unfortunately, we have difficulty getting across our messages about the real environmental advantages of wearing fur. Fur is a sustainably produced, long-lasting, recyclable and biodegradable natural material. Animal activists have created very damaging confusion about the real environmental issues. It makes no sense telling people to use petroleum-based synthetics instead of long-lasting natural and biodegradable materials. The saddest thing is that most consumers we speak with do appreciate the warmth, comfort and beauty of natural fur, but they feel intimidated.

Fur, unfortunately, has become a scapegoat ... We don’t have the financial or professional clout that large corporations can muster to tell their story when they are attacked.

“We have adapted, of course: we will sell our customer a shearling coat – because, ironically, shearling is not seen as fur. Or a fur-lined coat. We have also added cashmere and other cloth coats, with or without fur trim. Not because there’s anything wrong with fur, but because fur has been tangled up in a very complex societal discussion about using animals, which includes everything from medical research to circuses to eating meat.

"Fur, unfortunately, has become a scapegoat, because we are really a very small-scale industry. We don’t have the financial or professional clout that large corporations can muster to tell their story when they are attacked.”

After the Pandemic?

So how do you see the future of fur retailing?

“I don’t think fur will ever really go out of style, because it is so in tune with growing environmental concerns," says Dan. "We have to keep working on telling that story. But ultimately it is up to the consumer to make an educated decision on the benefits of buying fur products."

So what about the Covid-19 pandemic? Will that have a lasting impact?

“In more than thirty years in business, I have seen many highs and lows, and for sure the industry will be very different once the pandemic ends and we get through this difficult period.

"For one thing, every sector of the industry will be smaller in scale. I think fur is likely to be more of a niche market, for those who appreciate high-quality natural materials and fine craftsmanship. I think there’s a percentage of the population that will be ready to appreciate fur as a natural, truly environmentally sustainable clothing material. But it’s always hard to predict what consumers will decide.

"We are on the front line with consumers, and we are proud to do our part to promote fur on behalf of all the people who make up this uniquely Canadian heritage industry!”

SEE ALSO: Fur retail: The art and science of making sales. Truth About Fur.

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With the slogan #Reconnect - Time to Slow Down, a new campaign by the International Fur Federation urges designers, independent brands, fashion groups as well as consumers to change their consumption habits to help the planet. Sustainable sourcing, producing less, reducing waste, reducing pollution, buying fewer but higher quality garments, and wearing them for longer. This reflects growing criticism of the environmental harm caused by our “fast fashion” culture, while also highlighting fur’s solid credentials as a sustainable natural resource.

SEE ALSO: The sustainability of fur. Truth About Fur.

So what does it take to create a campaign like this? Truth About Fur talked with the man responsible for pulling it all together, IFF's fashion director Jean-Pierre Rouphael.

Truth About Fur: The principal video for this campaign contains a powerful indictment of the fast fashion scene: "Just spend your money, shelf it, wear it, post it, chuck it, REPEAT." As an alternative, you urge us to "Reconnect" with nature, and give it a helping hand by buying fewer garments and wearing them for longer. It's "Time to Slow Down." Support for this sentiment has been growing in recent years, and many in the trade believe fur should be part of this movement. Is it time to put it centre stage?

Jean-Pierre Rouphael: Yes, the conversation has been brewing for a while and keeps aligning closer to the fur industry's values, so the world is definitely ready for this. At IFF, we've been developing this message for the past three years, and this campaign is a continuation. In 2018, we began presenting fur as "natural" and '"kind to the planet", and promoted this heavily via Vogue magazine in eight markets. This has helped influence the media conversation about natural fur versus fake fur, and more broadly has given the fur industry a voice in the sustainable fashion conversation. Our latest campaign builds on this same message, while staying consistent and focused.

TAF: A consistent message makes sense for the fur trade, given that our sustainability credentials are so strong. But while you were developing this campaign, the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Has that changed fashion conversations at all?

Rouphael: It has definitely further prioritised the sustainability agenda and put it at the forefront of those conversations. The pandemic has shown in practice the positives that happen once we slow down - cleaner air, cleaner waters, a nature reboot. People have found a new appreciation for nature, and the industry is taking notice.

The pandemic has also changed the way fashion conversations are taking place. Before Covid, key fashion conferences were typically expensive affairs, for paying guests only. But the pandemic has pushed them to open up, so now anyone can log in remotely from home via Zoom, and be part of what were formerly closed conversations. The pandemic has also given us more free time to listen in, making it easier for us to put our hand on the industry's pulse.

Pulse of the Industry

TAF: And what have you learned? What is the "pulse" of the industry?

Rouphael: We are delighted to see that the fashion industry today is calling for the exact same things the fur industry has been advocating for many years. Quality, long-lasting, handmade, investment pieces made from sustainable materials and not depleting nature's resources. Overall, a promotion of slower fashion.

And this provided the base for our current campaign. We believe that natural fur is exactly the kind of material the fashion industry is calling for right now. For every quality the fashion industry wants to promote, a fur garment checks all the boxes.

Our task was to transform this concept into a campaign that is visual, educational, aspirational, and easily absorbable by end consumers.

"It Takes an Army"

TAF: Your behind-the-scenes photos show that a lot of people were involved in bringing this campaign to life.

Rouphael: All IFF campaigns are big collaborative projects. They start in-house, but once we've defined what we want to say, we invite outside parties to join. And when they say it takes an army, it's true! Almost 50 people were involved in different capacities in this campaign.

After the director and I agreed the visual direction to take and signed the storyboard, we set about choosing the best team, and the list was long! We needed a producer, a director of photography, lighting, retouching, hair and makeup, a casting director, a stylist, a behind-the-scenes photographer and videographer, a location manager, an editor, a copywriter, someone for voiceovers, a catering manager, and assistants all round.

Plus, of course, we needed a cast of models, and it was important to us that they represent a broad mix of ethnicities, as well as different shapes and sizes.

TAF: Didn't Covid-19 have an impact here too? The IFF is based in London. Wasn't there a lockdown?

Rouphael: It's not generally known that we actually shot the campaign in Dubai! The Covid rules were more relaxed there, and the budget was more affordable. Even so, we were all tested Covid-free prior to and post the 14-hour shoot, and had a government medic assigned to us throughout.

Still, Dubai did present some challenges. For one, we shot part of the campaign outdoors, and when the temperature tops 40°C it's not ideal for modelling fur! But the models and the team were ultra-professional, and you really can't tell from the videos and photos how difficult it was.

We also had to find a location with massive panoramic windows with green backdrops so we could shoot indoors but make it look like we were outdoors. And then there was the challenge of getting the fashion into Dubai as Covid was delaying shipments. For this reason, the stylist and I limited the number of brands we used and chose ones which were geographically closer. Still, we ended up with nine brilliant brands, and about 15 looks.

And after the actual shoot, we then had the post-production tasks of editing the videos, selecting the final photographs, and deciding the mood for retouching.

Last but not least, our website developer created a page to host all the new content, and compiled a media kit to deliver to all IFF members around the world.

Measuring Success

TAF: Once a shoot is a wrap, how do you launch a campaign and then measure its success?

Rouphael: The main objective of all our recent campaigns has been to position fur as part of responsible natural fashion, with an emphasis on its sustainability. At the same time, of course, we want to keep fur's image current and fashionable.

Every year, and depending on our budget, we work out a media plan pre-release and identify global print, digital and social media outlets we want to collaborate with, and accordingly make our bookings ready to launch. After the campaign wraps, we get all the analytics from the media with how many people clicked on the ads, how many people came to our website after seeing an ad, how many people we have reached in general, and so on. And then we report these numbers back to IFF's members.

This year, unfortunately, we don't have a budget to promote the campaign through external media (whether print or online), but we'll still be posting and boosting the campaign via our own social media. It's not the optimum way to reach the widest audience possible, but IFF has 55 member associations, and each of those has its own members, so it's amazing how far a campaign can reach when everyone is ready to share.

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How You Can Help ...

Whether you're a member of the trade or just a fur fan with a blog or social media account, you can help spread IFF's message by sharing this campaign.

The simplest way is just to link to IFF's landing page for this campaign, where all the materials are on show and you can understand the story. To share specific materials or to combine them with your own content, they're all available for downloading from a dedicated public Dropbox link. We all have the power to influence the fashion conversation, so please, get sharing!

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To learn more about donating to Truth About Fur, click here.

If you are looking for a designer who incarnates the Canadian fur trade’s rich cultural mosaic, D’Arcy Moses is an obvious choice.

Adopted at birth, D'Arcy was raised by a non-native farming family in Camrose, Alberta. “They were really good, hard-working people who adopted five children after raising four of their own!” he recalls. Then after he left home, he set out to connect with his aboriginal roots.

While his mixed background sometimes left him feeling uncomfortable ("like an apple, red on the outside, white inside"), in Vancouver he met Leonard George, chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, who assured him he could have the best of both worlds. “He told me, ‘You have the First Nations culture and you have the non-aboriginal culture. You can utilize that, because you can mix between cultures at ease.’”

D’Arcy’s chance to apply his complex heritage to creating innovative clothing designs came when he was offered a place in the Toronto Fashion Incubator. The fashion world took notice: in 1991, he was selected as one of ten emerging young designers featured at the Toronto Festival of Fashion. Then he was invited to Montreal by the Fur Council of Canada, where he began working with one of the country’s most important luxury apparel manufacturers, Natural Furs.

The unique, aboriginally-inspired collections D’Arcy developed while working with Natural Furs were sold to Holt Renfrew in Toronto, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, as well as to many independent high-end retailers across Europe, Russia, and Asia. His work is also owned by private collectors in many countries, and a retrospective collection of his work was recently purchased by the Government of the Northwest Territories for its permanent collection of regional Indigenous arts and crafts.

Going Home at Last

The big-time fashion world recognition was encouraging, but in 1996, D’Arcy received a call from the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation, in Wrigley, NWT. People there had seen a CBC documentary about him and recognized his name; Moses is a common family name in this northern First Nations community, and they had been looking for him.

After several visits, D’Arcy left the glamour, hectic pace, and controversy of international fur fashion to settle in the home he had never known.

His business experience landed him a job as a senior government official, helping his community to navigate the intricacies of bureaucracy and to secure funding for important economic and social development projects. But sewing and designing were never far from his mind.

His Own Workshop

Twelve years with the government provided the nest egg D’Arcy needed to finance his latest project: a workshop in Enterprise, NWT, a community even smaller and more remote than Wrigley, about 100 kilometres north of the Alberta border. “I needed somewhere I wouldn’t be distracted from my design work,” he says.

And the work has been abundant and diverse. In January, D’Arcy participated in a residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts & Creativity, producing a new collection, and he will return to Banff to lead a workshop for indigenous design students from around the world. "We will be using traditional techniques to re-purpose fur, leather and other natural materials,” he says.

D’Arcy's designs – including fur-trimmed pieces – are also featured in a two-year exhibition at the Buffalo Luxton Museum, in Banff.

He also runs workshops in Yellowknife, sponsored by the NWT Government, for traditional harvesters and craftspeople, where they use fur and leather to make everything from trappers’ hats to iPad cases. “Some of the hand-stitched leather these men and women can do is seen only in the top fashion houses of Europe - no one else can do this beautiful work, it’s a great privilege to work with them,” D’Arcy says.

Committed to Natural Materials

In his studio in Enterprise, where we reached him by phone, D’Arcy is now also experimenting with digitally-controlled bead work, which would allow Dene First Nations designs to be produced at more affordable prices. But above all, D’Arcy remains committed to using natural materials, including fur.

“Many people in my community still hunt and trap, and their attachment to the land is very strong. But natural materials like fur are also important at a time when people are increasingly concerned about protecting our natural environment. So-called `fast fashion’ is killing the Earth. That $20 synthetic blouse or jeans may seem cheap, but 10 grams of micro-plastics are leached into our waterways every time they are washed," explains D'Arcy.

“Progressives who want to ban fur need to look at the whole ecosystem, the broader impact of industries, not just the individual animal.  When we look at the whole picture, from sourcing to use and maintenance, through to disposal, it is clear that we should be using responsibly and sustainably sourced natural materials – including wool, leather, fur. The First Nations understood that we are part of nature and that we have an obligation to use resources with respect. I hope that my designs, marrying traditional and modern themes, can help people remember these important lessons.”

SEE ALSO: D'arcy Moses' big bet. Up Here, October 2015.

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Let me tell you first that a life of trapping in the Yukon was never something I'd intended. In fact, when my future mother-in-law wagged her finger at me, scolding me for my lack of skinning skills, I assured her that they wouldn’t be needed as I had no intention of becoming a trapper. Famous last words.

It all started out with me trying to be a supportive and interested girlfriend. At first, I would join George on weeknights in the skinning garage. We’d both put on matching blue gloves, and I’d help a little by clipping lynx claws and keeping body parts stable while he carefully skinned out whichever fur needed processing. Turns out it’s much faster to process a fur when you have four hands! After three years of working together on those cold, dark, late winter evenings in the garage, we’ve established a fairly efficient method of skinning together - and we’ve learned a lot about each other too.

In 2018, I opened a store in Whitehorse to sell the jewelry, accessories, and home decor items that I make with the furs from George’s trapline. After receiving questions about the trapline location and methods, I realized that I needed to be able to speak from first-hand experience, especially when it came to my customers' objections or just curiosity.

It’s magical out there, especially on the nights when the moon is full and the sky is clear.

So the same winter that I opened the store, I took my first trip out on the trapline, and I quickly discovered that I’d be put to work and not just watching. Before long, I had managed to inadvertently become George’s trapping assistant. I think this was his plan all along.

SEE ALSO: Fur jeweller wants to support First Nations trappers. Truth About Fur.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike being out on the land in the winter, but I didn’t wake up one morning and think to myself, “I want to be a trapper!” Also, I hate driving a snowmobile. I’m little. I’m 5’ 4” and 140 lbs. Me vs. the Skandic 600ACE usually goes one way. We get stuck. I get mad. George has to rescue us.

Despite knowing this, I go out with him almost every weekend after the Christmas shopping season wraps up. In January and February, I’m the caboose to our two-sled convoy through often-drifted-in mountain passes in the dark. My anxiety can be a little high if we have to break trail, or if he gets so far ahead of me that I can’t see his tail light, but I will admit, it’s magical out there, especially on the nights when the moon is full and the sky is clear. Shooting stars are so frequent they almost stop being exciting.

Reading Tracks, Stolen Bait, and Roasted Smokies

Trapping is some of the most physically challenging work I’ve ever done, but I can’t overstate how much value I get from it as an artist, a resident of this incredible place, as a spouse, and as a business person. My personal and professional ethics are cemented in this work, specifically in the context of sustainability, renewability, and traceability.

SEE ALSO: The sustainability of fur. Truth About Fur.

Living in the North is an absolute gift, and seeing it in the winter, when you’re the only humans around for miles upon miles, is humbling and awe-inspiring. For my relationship with George, well, let’s just say we got engaged at the trapping cabin because of how much that place means to us.

In the three winters that I’ve joined my now-husband on the trapline, I have learned so much about reading tracks, solving the puzzle of stolen bait, what makes a good lynx or marten site, and so much more. I learned that if you snare a lynx but collect the dead animal before it freezes, the air in its lungs may be squeezed out with an alarming groan when you lift it. I scream every time!

I give George many reasons to laugh, though I don't always know whether he's laughing with me or at me. I’ve learned that smokies (sausage-like wieners) roasted over a fire make the best trail lunches, and how to consistently build quick lunch fires with the available tinder. Also, my ability to find the perfect stick to roast my smokie on is pretty fantastic. So is my ability to whittle that stick to an impressive point, ideal for impaling smokies. I’ve learned that handle bar warmers on snowmobiles give me life, and I wish that I had something similar in my seat. I’ve learned that when I do get my sled stuck and I’m super mad about it, I’m a very strong and powerful shoveler.

Design and Innovation Award

In February of this year, I attended the five-day trapper training course organised by the Yukon Department of Environment. This was a great experience for me - except maybe for the practical trap-setting bit that took place at -40°, but I digress.

In the skinning portion of the course, I was able to process my own lynx from our trapline. Additionally, I was able to lead a portion of the course by contributing insights into the business of selling furs and fur goods.

This upcoming October 2020 marks the second anniversary of our store in Whitehorse. In May, I was awarded the Design and Innovation award from the Craft Council of BC for three of my designs. I was competing against 60 other earring designers and nearly 200 styles. My earrings were the only ones using fur.

This news came at a great time considering the challenges and uncertainty of the current economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The award has created numerous opportunities in both print media and on social media for us to speak about the ethical and sustainable use of wild furs.

We know that we’ve got our work cut out for us in having created a product that people often feel very strongly about, but we understand our responsibility to use this polarizing issue as a springboard into meaningful conversations on a public, global stage. We often direct curious minds to the Truth About Fur website for information about furs, harvesting practices, and other ethical and moral matters. The content is a valuable part of how we educate and inform consumers.

SEE ALSO: The ethics of fur. Truth About Fur.

Importance of Education

Going forward, we have every intention of continuing to promote the use of wild furs, and to educate the public on the benefits of fur. We are especially committed to emphasizing our promise to source our furs from Indigenous trappers. We are working to build a strong fur industry in the Yukon that is self-sufficient and sustainable for future generations.

Our hope is that the work we do now, and the stories that we share, can serve to benefit the local trappers and communities, consumer behaviour, and the fur and fashion industries over the long term. We have a responsibility to work together to integrate traditional teachings into our practices, and to maintain a spirit of humility and gratitude all the while.

SEE ALSO: Sustainability of fur: Bringing the story to schools. Truth About Fur.

Having this life and generating my livelihood from the bounty of the land is a tremendous honour and privilege. As I learn more about my place in this big world, I am reminded that while I am one small individual, my role as an educator is very important, and I have a responsibility to help shift attitudes towards using wild fur, particularly in the context of supporting Indigenous trappers.

If I can change a few minds about trapping in the Yukon and even open a few more, then I think I’m doing exactly what I’ve set out to do. Judging by the occasions where laughter, tears, and hugging (pre-Covid) have been central to the interactions in my store, I’d say I'm accomplishing my goals.

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To learn more about donating to Truth About Fur, click here.

The American fur trade played an important role in the country's history, and continues to provide employment for thousands of citizens today. In celebration of America's Independence Day this July 4, let’s meet just a few representatives of the modern fur trade!

Read on to hear from furbearer biologist Bryant White, who considers trapping a vital tool in the managing of wildlife. Next up is Bob Zimbal, whose mink farm in Wisconsin has been operating for sixty years. Then we're off to the Big Apple to talk with fur designer Maria Reich, who calls small businesses like hers "the heart of New York." And rounding out our series of July 4 interviews is another New Yorker, garment manufacturer Nick Pologeorgis, whose family history has been the American dream!

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Bryant White – “Trapping Is Essential to Wildlife Management”

Bryant White is the Furbearer Research Program Manager with the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), currently based at the Arizona Game and Fish Department headquarters in Phoenix. Much of his work involves research related to Best Management Practices for the conservation of furbearing animals.

How is trapping regulated to ensure that it is done humanely and sustainably?

“Everything is based on research,” says Bryant. “Trapping seasons are opened only when the young of the year are autonomous and have set out to establish territories of their own. When necessary, harvest quotas protect vulnerable species. Types of trapping devices and how they may be used are also regulated, to ensure animal welfare as well as the safety of pets and the public."

And what does he think the public needs to know about trapping?

“I think we have to help the non-trapping public to understand that trapping would be important even if no one wanted fur,” he says.

“Regulated trapping is now an essential element of responsible wildlife management in the USA. Many people don’t know that modern traps are used to capture animals, unharmed, to apply radio collars for research -- or to reintroduce species (wolves and river otters) into regions where they were previously eradicated."

We need to do a better job informing people of the important contributions that trappers make to our conservation efforts!

“Trapping is also essential to protect some thirty endangered species of plants and animals. Whooping cranes, for example, would almost certainly be completely extinct in the USA within two years if we didn’t aggressively trap predators like coyotes and foxes in their nesting areas. Endangered sea turtles are also protected by trapping raccoons and foxes that seek to dig up their eggs. Wolves must be managed to protect livestock, while beavers can cause millions of dollars of damage to forest habitat, water supplies, agricultural land, roads and other property by flooding. Skunks and raccoons in cities carry lethal diseases (rabies) and dangerous parasites, such as roundworm, which can migrate out of the intestines and can affect many organs and tissues, including the brain. They can be lethal."

Bryant believes that harvesting meat and fur from the wild is just as ethical as buying leather shoes, a steak dinner, or a can of chicken soup.

“What is important is that we hunt and trap in a responsible and sustainable fashion. Some people question the ethics of trapping animals for fur, but the fur trade actually helps us to protect furbearing species by giving them economic value. It’s all very good to say we care about wildlife, but when the tough decisions get made, economic value does matter. When someone comes to cut down the forest to build a new shopping mall, we can say, whoa, this forest does help the economy, it provides local income and resources from hunters and fishers and trappers – let’s leave it alone."

SEE ALSO: The ethics of fur. Truth About Fur.

“Not least important, it’s hunters, fishers and trappers who pay for the state agencies that monitor, manage and protect wildlife populations and their habitat. They pay with their hunting, fishing and trapping licenses. Without these revenues there would be no funding for the wildlife agencies that manage most of the wildlife in this country!

“From our perspective, as biologists and wildlife agencies, trappers are managing wildlife and doing essential conservation work. We need these people and we should respect what they do. We have done opinion research and 80% of Americans say that it's OK to trap to protect habitat, it’s OK to trap to protect endangered species, it’s OK to manage wildlife to control disease or protect property. We need to do a better job informing people of the important contributions that trappers make to our conservation efforts!”

SEE ALSO: Reasons we trap. Truth About Fur.

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Bob Zimbal – Third-Generation Mink Farmer

Raising mink is a lifestyle as much as a job, says Bob Zimbal, at his family farm in Wisconsin.

“When we come out in the morning, we look forward to feeding the animals and taking care of their needs,” he says.

“Sixty years ago my grandfather and my father started Zimbal Mink. Mink had not been domesticated for so very long, so there was a learning process how to care for the animals and feed them. As I child, I always helped on the farm, and my father taught me to pay attention to the animals and look at their health and each individual mink’s needs.

“The great thing about raising mink is that we can feed them proteins not used for human consumption, the parts of food animals that people don’t eat. So we’re recycling what would otherwise be wasted. All our mink feed is processed on-site, in our own feed kitchen, so it’s as fresh as possible.

“We work with nutritionists, because throughout the year, the minks' needs are always changing. When a mink is reproducing, its requirements are different than when it’s growing or furring. So our food is sent weekly to a laboratory to have it analyzed to make sure that we’re meeting the needs of the mink."

SEE ALSO: A year on a mink farm. Truth About Fur.

“We have a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility. We can open the roofs and sides and the air will flow through the building, to keep it cooler in the summer. But also we can close it up in bad weather in the winter to protect the animals from the environment.

“This facility is designed to make the mink comfortable, but also make it efficient for the people that are caring for the animals. So the way the bedding is put into the pens, the way they are kept clean – things like that are designed with what’s comfortable for the animal, but also what is efficient for the employees."

There’s a lot more involved in producing beautiful mink than most people understand!

SEE ALSO: Facts about fur farming. Truth About Fur.

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Maria Reich – “The Fur Boss”!

Maria Reich -- aka “The Fur Boss” -- is the dynamic CEO of ER Fur Trading, Oscar de la Renta Furs, and Reich Furs in New York City.

“This is the heart of the fur fashion business in the US,” says Maria. “There are more than 1,500 people working in fur and affiliated businesses in New York City.”

“Our company was started by my late husband’s grandfather, Charlie Reich, who arrived here from Poland in 1938. He fought in World War II, and then returned to start Reich Furs. His great-granddaughter, Samantha Ortiz, is now president of the company.

“I am a single working mom, and small businesses like ours are the heart of New York. We are a design-driven company and we directly employ 20 people, but we also work with – and provide work for – many other New York Garment District companies: designers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers.

Every scrap is used for something and never goes to waste. We are constantly finding new ways to use and re-use fur!

“We are a fully integrated company. We do everything here, from developing new designs, to producing apparel and accessories, which we offer directly to consumers.

“When it comes to fur fashion, there are plenty of misconceptions. It is more than just a luxury product, it is also a highly regulated and sustainable industry.

“Many of our clients come in with their great grandmother's fur coat, wanting it restyled and modernized. There are not many materials you can do this with. We also up-cycle a lot of our furs. Every scrap is used for something and never goes to waste. We are constantly finding new ways to use and re-use fur!"

Whether she’s designing a new collection or sharing her life with over 40,000 Instagram followers, Maria is constantly striving to inspire.

SEE ALSO: New York fur ban: Furriers fight to save sustainable industry. Truth About Fur.

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Nick Pologeorgis – Living the Dream

Nick Pologeorgis is a leader of the New York trade and one of North America’s foremost high-fashion fur manufacturers. He also serves on the boards of the Fur Information Council of America and the International Fur Federation.

Nick’s father, Stanley, started Pologeorgis Furs in 1960, after arriving in New York from Crete. He apprenticed in a fur workshop without pay and became a master fur craftsman. He was one of the first furriers to forge relationships with top international designers, collaborating with Pierre Balmain from 1970.

Nick joined the business when he finished his degree in finance at Boston University, in 1984. His sister, Joan Pologeorgis, who graduated from New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology, serves as vice-president in charge of production and is co-owner. It has been a family-owned and operated business for over 60 years.

“We love fur; we love making beautiful clothing with one of nature’s most luxurious materials,” says Nick.

The Pologeorgis story is the American dream. My dad built our company from nothing, through hard work and dedication.

Pologeorgis has made furs for a long list of celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor, Aretha Franklin, and Rihanna. “We made a beautiful white mink for Serena Williams,” he recalls.

“The business never stops changing. Fur is now used for accessories and for home furnishings, making it much more accessible to more people. Fur is even used to make felt for hats, and for rugs.

“Lifestyle is very important now too. There will always be the beautiful, classic garments, but you also want to have fun, not-so-precious pieces. The biggest trend is the mixing of fur with ready-to-wear fabric. How it all goes together is important.

“The Pologeorgis story is the American dream. My dad built our company from nothing, through hard work and dedication. Hard working, industrious immigrants continue to form the backbone of the fur market today. The fur trade supports thousands of families in New York and across America.”

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To learn more about donating to Truth About Fur, click here.

HAPPY CANADA DAY 2020! On the first day of July each year, we celebrate the uniting of three British colonies – the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick – into one federation, the Dominion of Canada, on July 1, 1867. It’s also a fine time to reflect on the unique role played by the fur trade in shaping our country.

Historians recall the role played by Europeans searching for fur in opening up our vast lands. But we should also remember that fur trading had been practiced here for hundreds, if not thousands of years before Europeans arrived.

When French navigator and explorer Jacques Cartier first visited the island of Montreal in 1535, he found Montagnais hunters from what is now northern Quebec already trading fur for food produced by Iroquoian farmers in the St-Lawrence valley.

Fur trading between First Nations and Europeans began when French fishermen came to exploit the vast stocks of codfish off Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St-Lawrence. When Cartier landed on the coast of northern New Brunswick, in 1534, he met Indigenous people who clearly had experience with Europeans, holding up fur pelts on sticks and eager to trade.

SEE ALSO: The country that fur built: Canada’s fur trade history. Truth About Fur.

In the five centuries that followed, Canada’s fur trade came to reflect the country’s cultural mosaic at its best: First Nations, French, English, Scots, Jews, Greeks and many others have worked together to build this remarkable heritage industry with its dynamic tradition of competition and cooperation.

But the fur trade is not just our history – it’s very much a part of modern Canada. More than 50,000 Canadians participate today in the many aspects of our industry, so let's take this occasion to meet a few of today's Fur Trappers, Farmers, First Nations, Manufacturers, Designers, and Retail Furriers.

CANADA'S RETAIL FURRIERS

Dan Kahnert – The Industry’s Link with Consumers

(Click here for an expanded version of this interview.)

Like so many in the industry, Dan Kahnert’s relationship with fur is a family affair.

“My great-grandfather learned the fur trade in Germany and came to Canada in the late 1800s. His son, my grandfather, moved to Toronto where he would travel around taking orders, and then cut and sew coats in his home. It was my father, Allan, who opened our first showroom on Avenue Road in 1957, where Kahnert’s is still located.

“I would help out at the store on weekends, and decided by the end of high school that I wanted to join the family business. That’s what I did in 1984, after completing my degree in economics and business at the University of Western Ontario. I arrived home with all my college furniture and everything on April 30 and began working full-time in the store the next day; it was storage season and there was no time for a break!

“We worked hard, six days a week, but I enjoyed the challenges of running a business, being our own bosses, analysing problems and implementing a plan. My older brothers, Bernie and John, were already working at the store with my father, and John and I still run the business together today. It really helped that dad was very open to letting us try new ideas, like when I brought in computers in the 1990s.”

What does Dan like best about being a retail furrier?

“In addition to working with my brother and running our own business, what I enjoy most is the opportunity to meet lots of new people. While not every customer is easy, as everyone working in retail knows, generally we meet lots of very nice people. When we say, ‘It’s been a pleasure doing business with you,’ it’s not just a cliché, it really is how we feel.”

We are on the front line with consumers, and we are proud to do our part to promote fur on behalf of all the people who make up this uniquely Canadian heritage industry!

And how has the business changed over the years?

“There’s no way around it, aggressive animal rights campaigning has hurt us. Most people still love fur, but the activists have made them feel nervous about wearing it. Some of these intimidation campaigns are really a form of violence against women, which is very sad,” says Dan.

“Unfortunately, we have difficulty getting across our messages about the real environmental advantages of wearing fur. Fur is a sustainably produced, long-lasting, recyclable and biodegradable natural material. Animal activists have created very damaging confusion about the real environmental issues. It makes no sense telling people to use petroleum-based synthetics instead of long-lasting natural and biodegradable materials. The saddest thing is that most consumers we speak with do appreciate the warmth, comfort and beauty of natural fur, but they feel intimidated.

“We have adapted, of course: we will sell our customer a shearling coat – because, ironically, shearling is not seen as fur. Or a fur-lined coat. We have also added cashmere and other cloth coats, with or without fur trim. Not because there’s anything wrong with fur, but because fur has been tangled up in a very complex societal discussion about using animals, which includes everything from medical research to circuses to eating meat. Fur, unfortunately, has become a scapegoat, because we are really a very small-scale industry; we don’t have the financial or professional clout that large corporations can muster to tell their story when they are attacked.”

And the future?

“I don’t think fur will ever really go out of style, because it is so in tune with growing environmental concerns. We have to keep working on telling that story, but ultimately it is up to the consumer to make an educated decision on the benefits of buying fur products ” says Dan.

“But, bottom line, as a retailer your success depends on satisfying your customer. We are located in a wonderful residential neighbourhood and therefore do not rely on tourist sales that might occur in downtown Toronto. We rely on community word of mouth with support from our online business. We have one of the city’s best collections of high-quality coats, and we work hard to take good care of every customer. We are on the front line with consumers, and we are proud to do our part to promote fur on behalf of all the people who make up this uniquely Canadian heritage industry!”

SEE ALSO: Fur retail: The art and science of making sales. Truth About Fur.

CANADA'S FUR DESIGNERS

Farley Chatto – Stylist to the Stars

If you’ve never heard of Farley Chatto, then you’re probably not in tune with fashion, and couture in particular. But if you love couture and Canadian design, Farley is probably a household name. Not only is he an internationally recognized designer, he is also a stylist for celebrities. He consults with Hollywood A-list hit TV shows and movies, including Suits, Christmas Chronicles, American Gods and more. As a Toronto resident, he is proud of his Canadian roots.

Farley’s love for fur began in his childhood. In winter, his father would pick him up from school wearing a muskrat-lined Royal Canadian Mounted Police hat. He remembers touching it and loving how soft it was, and thus began his love affair with fur. As he grew up in the 1980s, the fur was a staple as a must-have luxury item on TV shows.

“In the 1980s, Dynasty was a top-rated show depicting the lives of the rich and powerful, where fur and excessive fashion were a big part of the show’s popularity,” he recalls. “Then, one day, I  asked my mother if I could have a sheared beaver bomber jacket for winter. Sadly I didn’t get the coat, yet I was hooked on the tactility of fur!”

People forget that this country exists because of fur. Fur is the fabric that bundled our nation together.

Farley continues to be proud that fur is as Canadian as apple pie is to Americans. Because fur is a staple in the fashion industry, he was anxious to incorporate it into his designs when he entered the field.

“Being a Canadian designer can be challenging,” he says. “I’ve been on the scene for 32 years, and the beginning wasn’t easy.  I applied and was accepted to three fashion schools here and in the US, yet I decided to remain true to my roots and stay here. People forget that this country exists because of fur. Fur is the fabric that bundled our nation together.”

When asked on advice for young designers with interest in fur, Farley’s motto is: “If you have an opportunity, take it! Sign up for courses, join workshops, learn with First Nations people, put yourself out there.”

Wherever Farley travels, whether to teach or research, he touts the sustainability of fur fashion to others. As he says, it’s #furtastic.

Shawna Ujaralaaq Dias – Traditional Fur-Trimmed Parkas with a Modern Twist

As a child, Shawna lived for several years in a tiny settlement in Wager Bay, above the Arctic Circle on the extreme northwest coast of Hudson’s Bay.

“My grandfather had run the Hudson’s Bay post that was built there in 1925; there were only 15 people when my parents were living there, all family,” she says. “They would take the dog team to visit with other families nearby.

“It was a great life. My father hunted and trapped – foxes and wolves — and we were always outdoors, active and healthy – not like the kids who sit in front of computer screens these days!

“We kids would help to clean and scrape skins, and I began sewing by the time I was seven. I was using a sewing machine soon after that.”

The family moved about 300 kilometres south to Rankin Inlet, a small town (population 2,800, in 2016), so Shawna could attend school, but returned to their camp in Wager Bay each summer to hunt, fish and reconnect with the land.

“I didn’t even speak English until we moved to Rankin,” says Shawna. “We spoke Inuktitut, and I was lucky to learn all the traditional ways. These are the traditions I celebrate in my sewing.”

Now married with three grown children (18, 21 and 24) and a government job, Shawna never stopped sewing, and about ten years ago started her own business.

There is so much skill and creativity in the communities, and now with the Internet we have access to the world!

“People would see my fur-trimmed parkas and ask if I could make them one. Now I show new parkas on my Facebook page, and they are usually sold within 48 hours. Even though we live in a remote community, the Internet puts us into contact with customers across Canada and even in the US or beyond!”

Shawna now has more than 6,000 Facebook followers, and in 2017 she began selling dressed fur pelts, in addition to parkas.

“A lot of the ladies in small northern communities are sewers, but they often have difficulty finding fur pelts to work with. They really appreciate being able to get dressed furs from me up here.

“I like to promote the work of other ladies too,” said Shawna. “There is so much skill and creativity in the communities, and now with the Internet we have access to the world!”

So: with a government job and a growing sewing business, does Shawna still have time to connect with the land?

“For sure, we still go out to our hunting camp most weekends, and every summer. My husband only came north about 20 years ago, but he learned many hunting and trapping skills from my dad, and he loves the life here. My boys also hunt caribou and seals. We have a good life, and I am happy to be able to share some of the beauty of our Inuit culture with my sewing.”

CANADA'S FUR MANUFACTURERS

Christina Nacos – Re-inventing Fur for the Next Generation

Some people are born into the fur industry, some people choose it. For Christina Nacos, it was both.

Her father, Tom Nacos, is a legend of the Canadian fur industry. After learning the trade in his native village of Siatista, in the mountains of northern Greece, he emigrated to Montreal in the 1950s and proceeded to build one of North America’s most important fur manufacturing and retailing empires.

Christina crossed the ocean in the opposite direction, living in England for several years, where she worked in advertising. She returned to Canada in 1998 to work with Natural Furs, one of her father’s companies, and as one of the younger people leading a major company in the industry – and one of the very few women – she quickly began exploring ways to adapt fur for young people like herself.

“I think that each generation learns from their predecessors, but then has to make the industry their own, adapting fur for their time. That’s how fur has always evolved,” she says.

Under Christina’s leadership, Natural Furs was one of the first companies to participate actively in FurWorks Canada, an innovative project coordinated by the Fur Council of Canada to modernize fur fashion, mixing fur with other materials for a sportier look that reflected more modern, active lifestyles. Natural Furs was also a strong supporter of the Fur Council’s “Beautifully Canadian” collective branding initiative.

Christina is a strong believer in the important role of industry associations, especially in a sector made up of hundreds of small family businesses; she has served as vice-president of the Fur Council for many years.

As society thinks more deeply about the challenge of shifting to a more sustainable economy, fur will make more sense than ever.

Christina’s latest project to bring fur fashion into the 21st century is a major push to promote recycled – or “upcycled” – fur, to make fur more accessible and avoid waste. Branded as FURB Upcycled, the collection is attracting younger women who may never have worn fur before.

“We noticed that many young people were attracted by the nostalgia of remodelling furs they had inherited from their parents or grandparents. It’s a way to reconnect with the past, and it’s totally in synch with current efforts to prevent waste and use sustainable materials. Often we’re using the fur inside the garment, to maximize its warmth and functionality. We’re mixing upcycled fur with other materials, and exploring a more laid back, Scandinavian aesthetic.

“My sister-in-law, Sarah Nacos, has now joined me in the company. She’s 28, and brings the sensibility of an even younger generation of women to our designs,” she says.

“Each generation brings something new to fur. Young women today love the echo of the past in an upcycled piece, and they appreciate the durability of fur, which prevents waste – all important sustainability virtues.

“As society thinks more deeply about the challenge of shifting to a more sustainable economy, fur will make more sense than ever,” she says.

So Christina Nacos is continuing a family tradition in the best possible way: by totally rethinking how fur can be adapted for the next generation.

CANADA'S FIRST NATIONS

Robert Grandjambe – Deeply Connected to the Land

Robert Grandjambe Jr. is a Woodland Cree from Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories, whose roots go back to Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, where generations of his family trapped to survive. For many southerners, and city dwellers in particular, his deep connection to the land may seem like a dream lifestyle, and sometimes even hard to understand, so it helps that he is committed to explaining it to anyone who will listen.

Trapping is a perfect example. “I think people need to better understand the importance of what trappers do, because I don’t think they get it,” he says. “We must educate people to understand that everything the trapper does contributes to a natural and sustainable way of life and the environment, and is crucial for the culture and health of our communities.”

Robert started learning trapping from his father when he was six years old, and now he’s determined to pass on everything he’s learned. Out of trapping season, when he’s not working as a contractor, he does presentations in schools about culture, craft-making, hunting and gathering, and of course trapping. Also receiving a solid grounding in what it means to live on the land is his toddler daughter.

“As a father you want to leave a legacy,” he says. “I want to give her all my knowledge and experience from the trapline, and from there she can choose her own path. So I will continue to bring her into this world, so she can understand and know it well.”

Among the lessons that Robert passes on is the importance of supporting your community at large, and for him this means providing food – as much as he can, be it moose, ducks, bison, bear, geese, or any of the other wild bounty the land provides. He views food as “the thing that brings us all together at the same table and sustains us, no matter who we are or where we come from.”

We always ask ourselves, how can we do it better when it comes to animal treatment?

As for trapping, one important aspect that is close to Robert’s heart – as it is for most trappers – is animal welfare. In part this might be because his great-great-grandfather trapped in the early 1900s alongside Frank Conibear, one of the founders of the humane trapping movement, who in turn learned much about respecting animals by working alongside Indigenous people.

Robert is adamant that concern over animal welfare is not a recent development forced on trappers by the animal rights movement. “We always ask ourselves, how can we do it better when it comes to animal treatment?” he says. “The standards have improved dramatically over the years and we still strive to keep improving. As trappers, we always focus on only taking what we need, and making sure we respect the animals and the environment.”

As for the future of wild fur, Robert has a positive outlook, despite the many challenges facing trappers. He may not have all the answers yet, but he’s confident the pieces are all there to make it happen.

“I truly believe trappers and wild fur will always have a place in this world,” he says. “We needed it once just to survive, but today it is about much more than that: It’s about social and cultural values, family values, our health and well-being, and protecting nature, ecosystems and the environment.”

SEE ALSO: “Trapping is beautiful” says proud Cree Robert Grandjambe. Truth About Fur.

SEE ALSO: Letter from a Cree trapper: Nature is our refuge from Covid-19. Truth About Fur.

D’Arcy Moses – First Nations Heritage Inspires Modern Fur Designs

(Click here for an expanded version of this interview.)

If you are looking for a designer who incarnates the Canadian fur trade’s rich cultural mosaic, D’Arcy Moses is an obvious choice. Adopted at birth and raised by a non-native farming family in Camrose, Alberta, D’Arcy set out to connect with his aboriginal roots after he left home. While his background sometimes left him feeling uncomfortable (“like an apple, red on the outside, white inside”), in Vancouver he met Leonard George, chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, who assured him he could have the best of both worlds. “He told me, ‘You have the First Nations culture and you have the non-aboriginal culture. You can utilize that, because you can mix between cultures at ease.’”

D’Arcy’s chance to apply his unusual heritage to designing clothing came at the Toronto Fashion Incubator, and in 1991 his work was featured at the Toronto Festival of Fashion. Then he was invited to Montreal by the Fur Council of Canada, and began working with one of the country’s most important luxury apparel manufacturers, Natural Furs.

The unique, aboriginally inspired collections D’Arcy developed went to high-end retailers in North America, Europe and Asia, and a retrospective collection of his work was recently added by the Government of the Northwest Territories to its permanent collection of Indigenous arts and crafts.

Progressives who want to ban fur need to look at the whole ecosystem, the broader impact of industries, not just the individual animal.

Then in 1996 his life took another unusual turn. After CBC aired a documentary about him, he received a call from the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation, in Wrigley, NWT. Moses is a common family name there, and they had been looking for him. So D’Arcy left the glamour and hectic pace of international fashion to settle in the home he had never known. His business experience landed him a government job, but sewing and designing were never far from his mind.

Twelve years later he had saved the funds needed for his current project: a workshop in Enterprise, NWT, a community even smaller and more remote than Wrigley. “I needed somewhere I wouldn’t be distracted from my design work,” he says.

And the work has been abundant and diverse. In January, D’Arcy participated in a residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and he will return to Banff to lead a workshop for Indigenous design students from around the world. “We will be using traditional techniques to re-purpose fur, leather and other natural materials,” he says.

“Many people in my community still hunt and trap, and their attachment to the land is very strong. But natural materials like fur are also important at a time when people are increasingly concerned about protecting our natural environment. So-called ‘fast fashion’ is killing the Earth.

“Progressives who want to ban fur need to look at the whole ecosystem, the broader impact of industries, not just the individual animal. When we look at the whole picture, from sourcing to use and maintenance, through to disposal, it is clear that we should be using responsibly and sustainably sourced natural materials – wool, leather, fur. The First Nations understood that we are part of nature and that we have an obligation to use resources with respect. I hope that my designs, marrying traditional and modern themes, can help people remember these important lessons,” says D’Arcy.

SEE ALSO: D’arcy Moses’ big bet. Up Here, October 2015.

CANADA'S FUR FARMERS

Tom McLellan – Mink Farming Maintains Proud Rural Heritage

Tom McLellan, a third-generation mink farmer from Ontario, feels tremendous pride when he speaks of his family’s history and their contribution to the early agricultural economy in Canada. “It is comforting to know that my family has been a part of what helped shape Canada into the nation that it is today,” he says.

“My father and his father before him loved working with animals and, being a part of Canada’s agricultural development just made the work even more satisfying. Now my sons are learning about fur and our connection to the birth of our great nation. It’s a wonderful feeling,” he says.

We are always studying the science behind mink farming to improve the health of our animals and make them comfortable and happy.

The early days of the fur trade focused on trapping, and the beaver pelt was the motor of the economy. By the end of the 19th century, Canadians were pioneering fur farming as the way to produce uniform, high-quality pelts without overexploiting wild populations. Over time, farmed mink became the most popular fur for consumers who appreciated the warmth and luxury.

“Improving the quality of the fur and keeping our animals healthy is what keeps us going on a daily basis,” says Tom. “We are always studying the science behind mink farming to improve the health of our animals and make them comfortable and happy.”

Canadian mink farmers are proud to produce some of the finest furs in the world, and also of their commitment to animal welfare. They follow codes of practice developed by the National Farm Animal Care Council, and their farms are certified by independent auditors. This Canadian heritage industry is proud of its past and, equally important, is well positioned to continue supporting rural communities.

SEE ALSO: Facts about fur farming. Truth About Fur.

Joe Williams – Continuing a Family Tradition

What makes someone get up early each morning and put in long days on the farm?

“We are proud of the care we provide for our animals,” says Joe Williams who, with his two brothers, runs two mink farms in the lower mainland of British Columbia.

“It’s a family tradition, and fur is part of Canada’s heritage,” says Joe. 

“Canadians pioneered the farm raising of furbearing animals, foxes on Prince Edward Island and mink in Ontario, and we are proud to be part of that heritage.

“My father started his first farm in 1990, and I would help him on weekends and after school,” he recalls.

“For sure it’s lots of hard work, but it’s rewarding. I like working for myself and being outdoors and caring for the animals. There’s a satisfaction in following the full cycle with the animals, from breeding season, to whelping and ensuring the pups are healthy, right through to the final product.

“I am also lucky to be working with my brothers,” says Joe.

What would he like people to know about mink farming?

“I would like people to understand how hard we work to keep our mink healthy and content. Every day we are adjusting their care and nutrition, depending on the time of year and their growth cycle. The proportion of proteins and fats and other elements are adjusted depending on whether the mink are being prepared for mating or whelping or growth. We are learning all the time.

“And then we are maintaining pens and barns and equipment; mixing feed; planning genetics for the next mating season, working to improve our herd.

“There’s a lot more that goes into this than most people understand. And, honestly, if you don’t care about the health and welfare of the mink, you really can’t do a good job; it will show in the quality of the fur you produce.”

Fur makes more sense than ever in our eco-conscious times!

And what would Joe say to a consumer considering the purchase of fur apparel or accessories?

“I would like consumers to know that fur is produced responsibly and sustainably. Mink are carnivores; they are fed left-overs from our food production system, the parts of chickens, pigs, fish and other animals we don’t eat and would otherwise end up in landfills.

“We basically recycle those ‘wastes’ by feeding mink to produce a warm, beautiful and long-lasting natural clothing material,” says Joe.

“At a time when we are all looking for ways to ensure that our lifestyle choices are helping to protect nature for future generations, I would like consumers to know they can wear fur with pride. Fur is an important part of our Canadian and North American heritage. And fur makes more sense than ever in our eco-conscious times!”

SEE ALSO: A year on a mink farm. Truth About Fur.

CANADA'S FUR TRAPPERS

Katie Ball – Trapper, Designer and Advocate

When Katie Ball is not out on the land in Thunder Bay, Ontario, she's either designing and making fur garments at her own Silver Cedar Studio, or she's advocating for the fur trade on behalf of the Northwestern Fur Trappers Association, the Ontario Fur Managers Federation, the Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen’s Alliance, and Fur Harvesters Auction. Only a person with fur coursing through her veins could build such a résumé!

"The love of Canada and our national heritage is nowhere better reflected than in the fur trade," says Katie. "For me to be a part of this incredible industry is beyond humbling. Spending time out in the wilderness and being at one with Mother Nature and learning from my father is where my pride begins.

"I know that we are using the most humane methods possible, and respecting the delicate balance of nature to ensure viable populations for years to come. So I take pride in carrying on my family traditions, while playing the role as a steward of the land. There is no better way to spend one's time than with family, doing what you love."

Katie then takes this a step further, turning raw pelts into stunning fur garments.

"For me to be able to take this passion and turn it into a creative, fashionable yet functional wild fur product to be enjoyed for generations to come, is also a gift I hold dear," she says. "Nature and the fur trade itself have been major influences in my daily life that allow me to translate them into usable pieces of art and heritage. Being able to express myself through my creations has allowed me to grow as an individual."

Standing side by side with some of the most respected people in our industry that I call family and friends, is what lets me know I am where I belong.

"However, true pride shines brightest within the fur community if you ask me. The camaraderie between trappers and their families is unrivalled. The way we share our knowledge with one another, as well as the willingness to help educate newcomers, strengthens our friendships and grows our community as a whole. Trappers and their families are a closely knit community no matter where you go. There are always friendly smiles and stories to be heard."

Completing the picture, as it were, of a lady who lives and breathes fur, is Katie's involvement in advocacy.

"Finally, knowing that I have the backing from my local trappers council, as well as the Ontario trappers, is where my creativity, passion and strength come together. Helping fight for the rights of trappers, all the while educating the public about why the fur trade is so important to Canadians. Standing side by side with some of the most respected people in our industry that I call family and friends, is what lets me know I am where I belong.

"So be it on the trapline, in the studio, or at a board meeting, I know that what I do and love makes a difference. By being a part of this vast community and historical trade, with so much more to be shared and done in the near future, I cannot wait to see where we as a whole will take it.

"This is how we grow as a community, and these are just a few of the many reasons why I am proud to be a trapper."

SEE ALSO: "Fur is in my blood" says Katie Ball, trapper, designer, advocate. Truth About Fur.

Robin Horwath – Trappers Are "Great Stewards of the Land"

Hailing from Blind River, Ontario, Robin Horwath started helping his father on the trapline at the age of 12. In so doing, he became the next torchbearer of a family tradition that dates back to both his grandfathers.

"As we go through life, it is not always clear at the time what or who influenced us along the way," he says. "When my Grandpa Temple died at the age of 99, I saw a photo of him in an album for the first time. It was taken in 1928, and shows skunks and muskrats hanging on a shed, all skinned, boarded and ready to sell. Today, that photo is on my desk at work.

"When I was still nine or ten, I remember both him and my Grandpa Horwath telling me that they both had trapped skunks and muskrats. At the start of the Great Depression, they were paid $3 a muskrat and $5 a skunk. When I saw the picture of Grandpa Temple, it brought back all the stories they had told me as a child.

"My father was a great influence also, as he taught me to hunt, trap and fish as I grew up, and learn our family's traditions and values.

"So I am proud to have carried on my family's way of life. I have followed in the footsteps of my grandfathers and father, joined by my brother and my son. And hopefully my two young grandsons will want to do the same in the future."

Aside from the personal pride Robin has in continuing his family's heritage, he's also committed to serving others in the trade. Today he is both general manager for the Ontario Fur Managers Federation and a board member of the Fur Institute of Canada. So what path did he follow to reach this point?

"After studying in Iron Bridge under trapping instructor Walter Tonelli, I got my first trapping license in 1981 to help my father on his registered trapline, and I've held one ever since. In 1995 I became a director for the Blind River Trappers Council, and in 1996 I studied to be a trapping instructor in Thunder Bay as part of a program run by the Ontario Fur Managers Federation and the Ministry of Natural Resources. And by 2010, I was the OFMF's general manager!"

If you are a trapper, don’t be afraid to introduce someone new to what and why we trap. And if you are not a trapper, take the opportunity to ask if you can tag along.

So what motivates him to give so much of his time in the service of others?

"I am very proud to be a part of Canada’s fur trade," he explains, "and I have had great opportunities in my life to be able to help promote, educate and train people in its traditions and heritage. It is amazing when you think that the Hudson's Bay Company received its royal charter in 1670 - so 2020 is the HBC’s 350th anniversary, making it one of the longest-running corporations in the world. Trapping is what drove the exploration and development of this great land we call Canada.

"I never thought when I started trapping that I would end up representing trappers provincially and nationally on behalf of the OFMF and the Fur Institute. It's a great privilege."

So what advice does he have for others looking to get involved in promoting the fur trade?

"I dream of the day when trappers once again are recognized and valued by the general public as great stewards of the land. Trapping is a vital tool for managing furbearers to achieve healthy sustainable populations, to protect infrastructure, and control the spread of disease, which is important not just for the animals but also for humans.

"So if you are a trapper, don’t be afraid to introduce someone new to what and why we trap. And if you are not a trapper, take the opportunity to ask if you can tag along to see what it is all about for yourself, so you can make your own informed opinion on why trapping needs to continue."

SEE ALSO: In their own words: Fur trappers on Ontario's oldest profession. TVO.org.

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