Fur trends seen on a catwalk begin with a visit to Fur Vision

When you see an electrifying fur garment trotted out on a fashion runway, you could probably thank Saga Furs for playing an inspirational role in its creation. In fact, virtually every piece of luxuriously crafted fashion fur owes some thanks to Saga Furs and the company’s annual Fur Vision events.

Saga Furs took the lead more than 30 years ago and concentrates its efforts on creative innovation in fur. The staff of designers, furriers and fur technicians devote their time to experimenting with fur. The objective is to invent new craft techniques that can be added to a designer’s toolbox. The products of the experiments are taken to Fur Vision gatherings, which are the starting point for designers taking preliminary steps toward the next collection. Fashion runways give testimony of the Saga Furs’ Fur Vision success every season.

Designers at Fur Vision

Fur Vision brings fur-craft techniques to the fashion capitals of the world

First Fur Vision was organized in New York in 2000 and after that also in London, Paris and Milan. Four years ago, since 2015 Fur Vision became ‘the annual must event’ also in Asia, including nowadays fashion capitals such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo.

During event furriers as well as designers examine the swatches and get inspiration as to how techniques might be used as building blocks for a fur garment or accessory. Fur Vision also offers a large assortment of Saga® Mink, Finnraccoon and Fox. The Saga Furs staff assists visitors not only in choosing techniques, but can also help selecting fur types to maximize the aesthetic effects of various techniques. Knowledge and craftsmanship are a must when working with fur.

During Fur Vision visitors get inspiration and help as to how techniques might be used in their new collections.

A technique plus a designer’s imagination must then employ craftsmanship to realize the final fashion goal. Furriers familiarize themselves with new techniques at Fur Vision so designers are able to communicate creative ideas to them. Painstaking craftsmanship is what transforms luxurious fur into luxury fashion, but it is important for the designer and furrier to understand one another.

Fur Vision guests

You can do anything with fur when you understand the material

Fur can be shorn, plucked, colored, printed and more, depending upon the desired effects of volume, lightness, contrast, pattern or texture.

There are hundreds of craft techniques. Air Gallon is a particularly popular one that is fairly simple for a skilled hand: Small incisions are made in a crisscross pattern on the leather surface of a pelt. When completed, the technique gives you an amazing lightness and allows the pelt to be stretched in all four directions to twice, or more, its size. This way it is possible to use even a teeny-tiny bit of a fur piece, a leftover from a coat or a collar, stretch it to get more skin and then use it as an accessory piece – as a belt or a bag or some other detail.

The list of craft techniques developed by Saga Furs and shown at Fur Vision is very long, while the list of brands that have used these techniques grows longer every year.

Another popular technique that was developed at the Saga Design Centre is Fox on Fabric. As the name suggests, it allows fur to be combined with all sorts of fabrics to achieve beautiful effects.

The list of craft techniques developed by Saga Furs and shown at Fur Vision is very long, while the list of brands that have used these techniques grows longer every year. Craftsmanship and innovation have helped make fur the practical, beautiful and luxurious fashion material it is today.

Saga Furs remains the world treasury of inspiration, craftsmanship and innovation. Fur Vision is where the treasure chest opens.

 

Fashion and sustainability – you can’t have one without the other

A visit to Fur Vision marks the starting point of designers’ upcoming fur collections. It has always been Step-One when designers embark on a new collection, but this year Saga Furs took extra efforts to spotlight sustainability program. Nowadays you can’t have one without the other!

Earlier mentioned Air Gallon technique is just one example of sustainable approach and using everything to 100 %. Fur can be recycled, repaired, remodeled and resold. It’s also part of Circular Economy. Learn more about these topics by watching the WWD video below and read more about sustainability at Saga Furs from our Responsible Fur edition.