Rebecca Bradley

Rebecca Bradley London and Alex Guiste have combined talents to reinvent the RBL rucksack.

After Alex attended one of my events, I fell in love with his excitable attitude, and eclectic style.

Considering his love for little bags, I felt it presented the opportunity for a perfect collaboration. Alex designed the mini fur rucksack with clashing furs and colours, an amazing representation of masculine and feminine, traditional and innovative. The backpack suits him perfectly, and we can recreate it for clients in any colour combination with fur and leather, it really is a bespoke collaboration piece that can adapt to any owner.”

Rebecca Bradley

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I’m so proud to introduce my first collaborative piece and honoured to have worked with Rebecca so closely on the whole design process. More information on the collaboration launch will be found on my Instagram @alexguiste and on Rebecca Bradley London @rebeccabradleylondonfur.

As a big supporter and fan of fur, this collaboration seemed almost natural from the first talks I had a couple of months ago. For over a year I have worked with Rebecca Bradley and her team, representing her brand and highlighting the youth and versatility that fur brings to the table. For me, modernisation is key and Rebecca is a clear example of someone pushing forward and changing the way in which fur is used and interpreted. The collaboration has brought together our unique perspectives to create a interesting and striking bag. My affinity with small rucksacks and handbags was the starting point, and the combination of using my two favourite furs, mink and fox, was translated perfectly into the final creation. Delicate yet versatile was the aim and it works just as well being carried as it does sitting on the back. A singular thick leather strap means there are no lose straps and keeps their presence minimal, highlighting the exquisite construction and vibrancy of the backback. The pink and brown colour way is a classic and timeless pairing, a perfect blend of femininity and masculinity which emulates my personal approach to fashion.

Alex Guiste

The Alex Guiste Mini fur rucksack is now available for bespoke order.

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GQ panel discussion / The Rise of Fur in Menswear

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On June 10th, the concluding day of London Fashion Week Men’s SS20, the British Fur Federation and British GQ hosted a breakfast panel discussion at Claridge’s hotel discussing the rise of fur in menswear.

Rebecca Bradley London ricksacks and bears were on show to attendees.

A panel moderated by editor in chief of British GQ Dylan Jones, consisting of British Fur Trade Association (BFTA) Chairman Frank Zilberkweit, fashion designer Astrid Andersen, President of ‘Yves Salomon’, Yves Salomon, Copenhagen fashion brand ‘Les Deux’ founder Andreas Von Der Heide, and Central Saint Martin’s journalism graduate Alexandra Castle, engaged in political, social and environmental debates surrounding natural fur and its position in the fashion industry.

The panel kicked off with an engaging debate as to whether there can ever be an ethical or sustainable alternative to natural fur, given synthetic fur is fundamentally plastic. The discussion then homed in on today’s customers and their increasing demand for assurances on transparency and certification. The panel also debated the activities of animal rights groups and their effect, with media noise, on fur sales. Topics surrounding changes in millennials opinions and consumption habits and a rise of societal greenwashing and the real motives behind fashion brands going fur-free were also hotly discussed amongst the six panellists.

The debate then turned to the crux of the event – the rise of natural fur in menswear. Panellists identified the rise of ‘luxury’ in the menswear sector, the appetite for exclusivity and customization, as well as the rejection of fast fashion as being the main reasons behind the developing trend. Wrapping-up the debate, BFTA Chairman Frank highlighted that the growing demand for transparency from the fur trade will be met next year with the launch of IFF’s FURMARK certification programme; certifying furs from farms to consumers.

Listening to the educational conversations taking place amongst the panel was an esteemed guest list. This included Deputy Editor and Fashion Features Director at British Vogue Sarah Harris, British Fashion designer Osman, representatives from British GQ, Holland and Holland, Daxs, Harrods, and Harvey Nichols amongst others.

After an informative debate, the panellists and attendees had the opportunity to engage in side discussions.

On display during the event were a variety of displays highlighting trendy men’s fur fashion. This includes 6 mannequins featuring the designs from panellists; Astrid Andersen; Les Deux and Yves Salomon; and plinths showcasing the accessories from London-based designers Rebecca Bradley London; and Rachel London.

IFF’s and GQ’s breakfast panel did much to educate the influential British fashion scene, offering the fur trade an invaluable opportunity to debunk the many myths and highlight the many advantages of fur. All guests in attendance received a GQ goody-bag including the latest edition of British GQ, a copy of IFF’s Natural Fur brochure and FURMARK Brochure, and a gift by Oh! By Kopenhagen Fur.

The IFF exhibits for the 1st time at Premiere Vision promoting 'Natural fur, the responsible choice' - Blog post by IFF

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Premiere Vision, the world’s largest bi-annual fashion trade show, returned to Paris-Nord Villepinte on September 19-21, 2018. For three-days nearly 60,000 fashion professionals (approximately 18,000 each day), an increase from just over 50,000 at the last event, got to meet exclusively with brands while searching for next seasons fabrics, designs and inspirations. This included buyers, designers, manufactures and business owners, all of which got to communicate directly with the International Fur Federation (IFF), whose 30-square meter stall was positioned in the Leather Hall promoted and represented the fur trade industry supply chain.

 

IFF CEO Mark Oaten held interviews on the stand on the opening day of the exhibition with 4 key media; the Fashion Network, Journal du Textile, Vogue France and WWD discussing advancements in the industry’s certification and traceability under the FURMARK program and provided other current updates from the latest campaign and news around fur and fur fashion.    

 

As well as showcasing the natural furs of three of IFF’s auction houses; Kopenhagen Fur; NAFA Fur and SAGA Fur on three mannequins and two clothing rails; IFF’s earthy and modern white and wooden stall communicated their message: fur is sustainable, responsible, and modern material, clearly. IFF’s FUR NOW 2018 campaign also attracted visitors to their stall who were keen to engage with the campaigns slogan: ‘WHY NATURAL FUR? Young Create Talents Explain.” This poster, as well as demonstrations of the industry’s latest techniques from fur designer and manufacturer Rebecca Bradley, on Allbook Hasfield speciale fin machine – one of Louis Vuitton’s original sewing machines used to create fur garments in the 1960s, attracted many young design students from all around the world, including Australia, Korea, the UK, France and The Netherlands. Hearing from young students themselves how keen they were to experiment and work with fur This was IFF’s most exciting and promising result from Premiere Vision. The IFF were equally as keen to point them in the direction of Fur Futures their annual REMIX competition, both of which are there to support and nurture fashion designers of the future.  

 

IFF’s stall, fur garments and demonstrations were supported by large TV screens playing IFF’s 8 Fur Now films, their ‘Natural versus Plastics’ and Vogue campaign. Additionally, IFF’s six-page editorial in the September issue of American Vogue and their sixteen-page editorial in the Autumn/Winter issue of POP Magazine were open used by IFF’s team to engage in educational debates about how fur is still a popular material with high-fashion designers and magazines. IFF’s team gave out over 1000 Natural Fur and 150 Furmark brochures to visitors which were used to highlight furs natural and sustainable qualities, whilst IFF’s team also illuminated the harmful effects plastic fur and fast-fashion has on the environment. A focus on microfibers and re-educating visitors on the reality of the fur farming industry attracted a lot of attention over the three days. 

 

The event wrapped at around 4pm on Friday September 21, 2018, with IFF successful supporting all sustainable angles of fur highlighting how fur is still embraced by millennials and generation Z.

Blog post by IFF

Camilla's first coat

I have been working for the furrier Rebecca Bradley London for the past 3 year. She has been teaching me the required skills needed to be a furrier. 6months ago I applied for a bursary from IFF In order to have the funds to buy my own skins. i intended to use these skins to practice my skills in making a fur coat from scratch.

With the bursary I brought two, dyed, American foxes, a dyed, short- haired raccoon and two dyed sealskins. They were in all shades of two-tone blue and green as they were inspired by my research into underwater creatures.

I wanted the design for my jacket to be feminine and contemporary. I combined my ideas for its wear ability and its silhouette from the inspiration of the winter-sportswear brand ‘Moncler’. the contoured lines and colors where inspired by an image of a deep sea octopus. I felt that these two themes lent themselves well to the versatility and textures of fur.

I wanted to really challenge and expand my skills so i tried to design something that would push the limits of fur as a material as well as develop my level of knowledge of construction.

I mostly enjoyed the stretching stage of construction, as this was something I was quite unfamiliar with. I have a lot of opportunities to sew and construct garments when I’m working however I’m less experienced in stretching.

The stage I found most difficult during construction was when I had to make sure that the fur ran in the direction of the ‘s’ shapes. This meant being very resourceful with my skins, otherwise there would have been a lot of waste or not enough material because of the style of the design.

Rebecca taught me how to make all the pattern pieces symmetrical even though no two skins are ever the same.

I really enjoyed seeing the garment come together. It is very hard to predict how the design will look in fur, as it will have a completely different volume and silhouette.

I think I managed to successfully envision how the combination of different furs would work together. I am very happy with the final piece and I hope to design and make more pieces to turn in into a cohesive collection.

The New York Times

The New York Times

The New York Times

SINGAPORE — The backdrop was a Parisian boulevard, and the catwalk was lined with fake trees in autumnal colors. But the electricity in the air was all Singapore.

FIDé Fashion Week 2013, presented by the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, displayed the work of 10 Asian and four French designers over an 11-day schedule in mid-October. Frank Cintamani, chairman and founder of the three-year-old event, says he has created Asia’s only complete fashion event, with shows displaying men’s and women’s ready-to-wear as well as couture. And the week’s atmosphere is very different from that found at other fashion gatherings, Mr. Cintamani stressed. Elsewhere, he said, “You don’t get other designers sitting in the front row, supporting one another. You don’t get them going to the back room, helping them hem a dress two minutes before the show starts.”

According to Forbes.com, Singapore is now the world’s fastest growing wealth hub, and fashion is taking advantage. In addition to the FIDé week, the city-state also is host to the Audi Fashion Festival, which marked its fifth year in May, and Digital Fashion Week, a live-streamed event in early November that allows immediate online purchasing.

The FIDé week offered five men’s and four women’s prêt-à-porter shows, among them a one-hour presentation by Guo Pei, one of China’s best-known designers.

She said her “1002 Nights” collection was inspired by the tales in “The Arabian Nights” and a trip to Iran that left her in awe of its culture and history. One style was a short, sculptural purple dress with a green bodice, styled with sharp rings, necklaces and high platform shoes — representing, the designer said, the courage, personality and fearlessness of youth.

Even in rehearsal it was fascinating to watch the models pose on the 15-centimeter, or six-inch, platforms. Huang Chao Yan, a Chinese model, said: “It’s hard to balance. They are not a flat surface, and they move, so it’s difficult not to knock them together and hard to make them walk in a straight line.” Ms. Pei said the shoes reflected the shapes used in the Qing dynasty, which began in the mid-17th century. “The high heel in China is in the middle of the foot, not like on the heel in the Western way,” she explained.

A heavy kimono of rich greens, purples and golds was complimented by a geisha-style makeup designed by Romero Jennings, the makeup-artistry director at the MAC cosmetics company. It included long red eyelashes that he fashioned out of a metallic contact paper found in Korea.

Ms. Pei clearly loves her work, noting that “couture is very open. It touches people’s hearts. It’s an incredible art.”The Beijing designer noted that when she began her label in the 1980s, “no one knew traditional Chinese embroidery.” Now, she said, she employs 450 artisans, she has trained herself because “memories and skills have gone.”

Michael Cinco, a Filipino designer in Dubai, said he was inspired by matadors and flamenco dancers, the Alhambra Palace in Granada and the Alba Flamenca restaurant in Edinburgh. “Most of my collection is in reds, shades of reds; layers and layers of lace; blacks and beige,” the designer said from behind his trademark hide-the-eyes shades. His outfits included a matador-style jacket with sequin tassels, a blood-red lace cape, and a long beige dress with a high neck and long sleeves that had lace, tulle and crystal detailing. Mr. Cinco, whose clients include Lady Gaga and the Colombian actress Sofia Vergara, said he loved working with tulle “because I can put a different kind of provocation with a lot of details on it, and Swarovski crystals give drama, poetry and emotion to the wearer.”

The Indonesian designer Sebastian Gunawan’s “Mod Muse” show rocked to a riotous soundtrack that included music by the Rolling Stones, the Clash and the Sex Pistols. “Music works with the clothes to create and follow what modern women are,” he said. But, the designer added, “part of my dream is seeing when women feel like princesses, too” — like any women would in his beaded and embroidered long gown of midnight blue raw silk.

Yumi Katsura, one of Japan’s most prolific designers, surprised the audience with a short puff dress — embellished with Swarovski crystals running down the shoulders, arms and legs — that, with a pull on a ribbon, cascaded into a long gown.

And Lie Sang Bong, considered one of the most influential couturiers in South Korea, described his collection as “flowers blossoming explosively, like fireworks in a city.” He featured 1960s swirly print A-line dresses, mostly in black and white silk, which were set off by the models’ black nails.

Kenzo Takada, founder of the Kenzo fashion house, observed the Japanese designers: Junko Koshino’s dramatic capes, Yoshiki Hishinuma’s handpainted flora and fauna motifs on silks and chiffons, and Keita Maruyama’s ’50s skirts and a green and white dress with green bows racing down the back.

The French Couture evening, a highlight of the event, featured the Paris designers Alexis Mabille and Julien Fournié and the French label On Aura Vu Tout.

Mr. Fournié showed both his autumn 2013 couture line and a capsule collection, Julien Fournié for Love Bonito, created for the online store founded in Singapore by Rachel Lim and Viola Tan. His couture “First Chimera” collection was inspired by American comics and superheroines, with what the designer called “a mix and match between woman, lion and mermaid.” Mr. Fournié said his obsession, along with the zippered hem, is “how to elongate the body as the famous artist Modigliani” did and noted that the muted chocolate palette was inspired by the colors of the painter Gustav Klimt. One style: 33 mink pelts stitched onto an organza ribbon by Rebecca Bradley, the London furrier, to create a mink dress.

In contrast, the capsule collection lured the Love Bonito girl with a riot of color — purples, apple green, fuchsia and yellow — as well as Mr. Fournié’s funky zipper hems.

At the conclusion, the designer and his Love Bonito collaborators danced down the catwalk hand-in-hand as glittering confetti rained down — something of a metaphor for the entire fashion week.

Read article on Nytimes.com

Julien Fournie - Autumn/Winter 2013-14

Julien Fournie - Autumn/Winter 2013-14

Julien Fournie

Julien Fournie

Finnish Saga furs enters in a partnership with the Bolshoi Theatre

Saga Furs has entered a partnership with the Bolshoi Theatre to provide the furs and technical assistance for the spectacular stage costumes to be used in the esteemed institution's first production of Strauss' Die Fledermaus. Celebrated Russian designer Igor Chapurin has been invited to create the stunning costumes.

Russian designer Igor Chapurin has designed an impressive all-white fur wardrobe for Strauss’ Die Fledermaus operetta staged at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The international fur auction company Finnish Fur Sales donated Finnish specialty products, such as Arctic Marble and Shadow Fox skins, for costume material. The company has exclusive global rights to the Saga® trade mark which, in addition to serving as a guarantee for the technical quality of fox, mink, and Finnraccoon skins, also is a guarantee for responsible animal breeding. The collection designed by Chapurin is seen during the second act of the operetta. On Friday, also invited guests from Finland will attend the performance.

The idea for Die Fledermaus operetta’s wardrobe came from the Bolshoi Theatre’s Public Relations Director, who knows Chapurin and has collaborated with Saga Furs since 1998. Saga Furs is in charge of Finnish Fur Sales’ fur pelt product development.

As the project’s format started to develop, Annette Traberg, a furrier at Saga’s design workshop located in Vedbaek, Denmark, and Rebecca Bradley, a fur professional from London, joined in the practical work. To facilitate the implementation of similar projects also in the future, the partners donated to the Bolshoi Theatre the machine required to work the fur material.