Fur on the runway is breathtaking, but a group of Chinese journalists from Harper’s Bazaar and Beijing TV visited Saga Furs Design Centre to get a behind the scenes view of where and how fur creations start. As the pioneer in taking fur to new levels and CSR values, Saga Furs was the obvious choice for them. Their Nordic trip included a leg in Helsinki for a photo shoot and visit to Finnish Fur Sales. The charms of Nordic summer, with its long days and fresh sea breezes, provided the ideal atmosphere for a group of Chinese journalists who wanted to delve into the secrets of fur at Saga Furs Design Centre. They found a new world of creation and got the opportunity to interview a couple of top designers who were at the Centre to find inspiration for upcoming collections.
“Fur is very very much in fashion, so these journalists are obviously keen to learn more so they can bring their audiences a broader picture of how fur fashion is created,” says Saga Furs regional manager (Asia) Nora Tse, who accompanied the group. “They are very interested in fur and of course they recognize the Saga Furs brand for its superior quality and values of responsibility, so now they are here. For them it is a working assignment, but I can see how fascinated they are by all the fur techniques they see here.”
The group consisted of: Ms. Chen Menghan, fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar; and, from Beijing TV Ms. Qian Dandan, producer; MS. Qi Fang, TV show host; and their cameraman Mr. Ma Yongjie.
The reporters buzzed around Saga Furs Design Centre to capture the atmosphere of the site. They spent a lot of time in the Workshop, viewing various fur techniques, learning about different types of fur, and understanding the vast potential of fur as a material.
Fur fashion in the making
The media representatives took fur-technique samples and various types of fur as props for photo situations while they spoke with the Workshop staff to gain knowledge about what they were doing. The staff members were engaged in daily routines that involve preparing sample swatches and helping two designers and their companions who were visiting Saga Furs Design Centre simultaneously with the media group.
The designers were at the Centre to get ideas for upcoming collections. Manish Arora, a Parisian designer who hails from India, was back at Saga Furs for a second time to gather some preliminary impressions for his A-W 2012-12 collection. He had attended a seminar at the start of the year to make pieces for the past fashion week season. Arora’s fur fashions were major hits in Paris, especially a colourful coat using the intarsia technique. The Chinese journalists interviewed him about his craft, and a slew of pictures of the stunning coat were taken.
The other designer who will be the subject of both media’s reportage was Emilio de la Morena, a London-based Spanish designer who has gained huge popularity the past few seasons. Morena is a newcomer to fur, but was accompanied by fur consultant Rebecca Bradley, who will help him realize his visions in fur.
The press teams watched—and did their reporting assignments--as the designers examined materials and did some hands-on experimenting with fur. The Workshop setting provided some colourful vignettes of fur fashion in the making as well as a vivid picture of people who make fashion at work. Chinese audiences interested in fashion can look forward to the final results of both the reporters and the designers.