Title: Fairchild Books
1?2007 Fairchild Publications, Inc.
2Leather and Fur
- The Leather Industry
- History and Development
- Organization and Operation
- Merchandising and Marketing
- Trends in the Leather Industry
- The Fur Industry
- History and Development
- Organization and Operation
- Merchandising and Marketing
- Trends in the Fur Industry
3The Leather Industry
- Leather and fur are the oldest, most sought
after, and most glamorous of textiles. - Both leather and fur are animal skins
- One side of the skin is leather, the other is
fur - The leather industry is currently expanding its
markets
4Leather
- Preparing leather is a specialized, time
consuming effort - Orders require 8 to 16 months advance notice
- The leather industry suffers less abuse than the
fur industry from PETA as leather is mainly a
by-product of the meat packing industry
5Types of Tanneries
- Regular
- Purchase and process skins and hides into leather
- Contract
- Process skins and hides for converters, but are
not involved in the final sale of the leather - Converters
- Purchase skins and hides
- Commission contract tanneries to process
- Sell the finished product to manufacturers
6Categories of Leather
- Almost all leather comes from cattle. But the
hides and skins of many other animals are also
used in fashion apparel and accessories. There
are nine major categories of leather
- Exotic Leathers
- Aquatic Frog, seal, shark, walrus
- Land Camel, elephant, ostrich
- Reptile Alligator, crocodile, lizard, snake
7Classification of Pelts
- Skins
- Less than 15 pounds
- Kips
- More than 15 pounds, but less than 25 pounds
- Hides
- More than 25 pounds
Transforming these skins into leather requires
three to six months, utilizing a process called
TANNING
8Leather Processing
- Tanning can be accomplished through the use of
- Minerals
- Vegetables
- Oils
- Chemicals
- A combination of the above
9Merchandising and Marketing
- Because of the long lead times involved, leather
forecasters are among the best and most
experienced in the industry - To protect and broaden the market leather
producers constantly broaden their range of
colors, weights, and textures
10Leather Trade Associations and Trade Shows
- Leather Industries of America (LIA)
- Sponsors semiannual color seminars
- Supports a Hide Training School
- Sponsors a student design award
- Trade Shows
- Semaine du Cuir, ParisSeptember
- Hong Kong International Leather FairJune
- Tanners Apparel and Garment Show (TAG),
NYCOctober
11Trends in Leather
- The leather industry has changed because of three
trends
- Enlarging market opportunities
- Increased competition from synthetics
- Increased foreign trade
12Leather as a Fashion Force
- The versatility of leather is a hit as a fashion
force for sportswear and on the red carpet
13Fur History and Development
- By the Middle Ages, fur announced ones wealth and
status - In America, beaver was the most sought after fur
at the turn of the 18th century. - J.J. Astor owed his fortune to the trade
- In 1900, the Chilean government backed a loan
with chinchilla skins.
14Fur History and Development
- As beaver became scarce, Lincoln wore a silk hat
to his inauguration - The demand for beaver hats ceased overnight
- Demand for fur remained strong among women
- Prince Edward Island, Canada started farming furs
in 1880
15Fur Fashions Change Slowly
- Todays market reflects the most varied list of
popular furs ever - Mink holds a commanding lead with fox and beaver,
in that order, behind it - Contemporary furs, a new category, include
raccoon, fox, beaver, coyote, muskrat, tanuki
(Japanese raccoon) and nutria (South American
beaver-like animal)
16PETA vs. Fur Industry
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
- PETA has staged a variety of protests and pickets
- Other groups have raided fur farms releasing the
animals, or destroying pedigree documents
- Still others have confronted consumers, throwing
paint on women wearing fur coats
17Fur Industry Has Responded Strongly
- Fur farms do not remove animals from the wild
- 95 of fur used comes from humane trapping
- Real fur does not use non-renewable
petroleum-based products which pollute the
environment
Faux furs have grown in both quality and hence
popularity recently.
18Organization and Operation
- Three groups represent the three stages of
production
- Trappers
- Fur processing companies
- Manufacturers of fur products
19Pelt Production
- Trappers are the primary source of wild animal
pelts - The majority of furs come from farms or ranches
- Fur pelts are sold at auctions, much like they
were in the 13th century
20Fur Product Manufacturers
- Manufacturers contract with fur dressing and fur
dyeing firms to process them
- Processing steps are usually performed by hand,
although technology is turning it into a more
mechanical process, allowing the worker to deal
with each individual pelts color, quality, and
peculiarities
- Innovations in 1989 by Fendi
- All fur can be reversible
- Lightweight, minimal bulk, fur that moves easily
with the wearer
21Retail Distribution of Fur
- Happens in 1,500 stores nationwide
- Leased departments in department stores are
common - Consignment selling, where the fur manufacturer
supplies merchandise to a retail store on loan,
is another example of retail distribution in the
fur industry - Note that retailers have both off the rack furs
and maintain their own pelts for custom work
22Merchandising and Marketing
- The Fur Labels Product Act of 1952 required
- English name of animal
- Country of origin
- Type of processing to which pelt was subjected
- Whether or not parts have been cut from less
desirable paw or tail sections
23Trade Associations Fur Fairs
- The leading trade association is the Fur
Information Council of America (FICA). They
represent retailers and manufacturers. - American Legend Cooperative is a mink ranchers
association combining two major mink producing
groupsEmba Mink Breeders Association (EMBA) and
Great Lakes Mink Association (GLMA). - Designers, manufacturers, retailers,
import/exporters, wholesalers, and the media all
attend one or more of the leading international
fur fairs. They are held in Tokyo, Hong Kong,
Milan, Moscow, Frankfurt and Montreal.
24Four Trends in Fur
- Renewed fashion interest in furs
- Increased foreign trade allowed for exports of
high quality U.S. pelts - Legislation protects endangered species to the
detriment of non-endangered species - New channels of distribution widen the audience
- Mail order
- Hotel, armory and arena sales
25Elegant or Rock Roll