Hong Kong Fur and Fur Vision 22 collaboration

To continue our Fur Vision 22 story, we also interviewed another manufacturer – Hong Kong Fur. In this article we discuss with William Sun, the manager of Hong Kong Fur about collaboration with Saga Furs, but also about how Covid-19 has changed things and how they see the future of fur.

 

To begin with, could you please introduce your company and tell our readers how did Hong Kong Fur Factory start up?

Hong Kong Fur Factory was established in 1957, in Hong Kong China. We are a family business, and we started as a fur retailer serving specially the tourist who were visiting Hong Kong. Today, we are a fur manufacturer and wholesaler, serving the needs of different fur boutiques and fashion brands.

 

What kind of manufacturing do you mostly do?

We develop our own fur collection each year. It consists of over 100 samples each season and using different fur materials and fabrics. We also produce fur trims for fashion brands, and we are able to provide full traceability of our supply chain.

 

How do you find the collaboration with Saga Furs for this year’s Fur Vision 22?

Well…It is an honor to work with Saga Furs’ Fur Vision programme! It made us realize the new possibilities of fur. During the project we gained lots of valuable knowhow on different types of fur, fabric, and construction techniques. It also allowed us to work with our external partners offering a wider range of products to our customers.

 

Thank you for your kind words! If I may still ask, why did you choose Saga Furs to work with?

We have cooperated with Saga Furs for over 30 years. Saga represents the most comprehensive offering of different fur types, from foxes to mink. We also treasure the opportunities to work on cooperation programs between Saga Furs and fashion designers or fashion brands. We see it as the best way to promote fur into fashion.

 

What has been your most fun collaboration so far? Or which one are you the most proud of?

We are honored to have been invited to numerous collaboration projects over so many years. We enjoyed the collaboration with the student from Parsons and working with Bibhu Mohapatra was also very memorable. The pieces we designed were elegant and beautiful, and the collection was very well received by the audience.

 

What is your favourite Saga Technique?

Our favourite technique is Horizontal Cut Technique. It has reduced the weight and density of fox fur, while still showing the character and fluffiness of the material.

 

 

As you have such a long history with fur and Saga Furs, what has been the most fun experience from the Saga Furs Auction?

Yes, growing up in a fur family, I have used to fur since I was young. I have great memories when I first attended the Saga sorting course back in 2012, also, meeting friends from all over the world during auctions, and getting hands on experience in grading and sorting. It is the best introduction to the trade, and I am grateful for the opportunity.

I really enjoy the interactions and the competitive spirit in the auction room. It also, makes me able to make friends and network with fur traders worldwide. Each visit inspires us to work harder, to create new designs which we can transfer into a product which we can then offer to our customers.

 

In your opinion, did anything good come out of Covid-19?

Covid-19 is a hard blow to our industry, there is no doubt about it. We have communicate more actively with our customers, and to engage more to understand their needs. It also forces us to upgrade our online offering, and we have to bear this in mind when we design our products.

Another positive thing about Covid-19 has been the development of an online auction system. The platform which Saga Furs uses is very easy to use, and allows us to participate the auction selectively, instead of flying to Europe for a week. Perhaps we can have a hybrid auction in the future, with physical auction held once or twice annually.

 

How do you use fur in the future?

Fur has traditionally been an independent subject in the fashion family. We need to integrate fur into the mainstream of fashion, by creating different techniques and better combinations of fabric and fur, and products with different price points.

Recently there are a lot of discussion about re-using and upcycling in the fashion industry. We are thinking of how we can link our products into this story.

 

What are your wishes and plans for the future?

We can already see a rebound in the fur industry in China, starting from end of 2020. We hope to see recovery in other key markets such as Korea and Russia very soon. Fur needs to remain in fashion and Saga is in the best position to work on this linkage.

 

 

To read other manufacturer articles related to Fur Vision 22 collection, click here.