by Lise Leonhardt Hjort
“We can be inspired to use fur all year around.”

“The Chinese market is interesting for the fur trade, because China has huge know-how and a history as a manufacturing country.

In the past decade, the Chinese lifestyle has been changing for the better, thus increasing the number of new consumers and making it a market with new potential and room for growth. Of course, there are risks in focusing strongly on the Chinese market, but the fur trade is willing to take that risk.

www.ffs.fi

We see more buying power in China than anywhere else in the world,” says Pirkko Rantanen-Kervinen, Managing Director for Finnish Fur Sales (FFS).

She has been with FFS since 1974, and has travelled regularly in China over the last 12 years.

Finnish Fur Sales is a Finnish fur auction company that was founded by the Finnish Fur Breeders’ Association in 1938 in response to fur breeders’ growing need to market and sell their skins jointly to the international market. Today, FFS is one of the world’s leading international fur auction houses, whose main target markets are Europe, Russia, and the Far East.

“The SAGA establishment of a workshop and design centre in Beijing is very important for all of us, as this is our chance to improve and increase knowledge in China as well as inspire the Chinese to follow Western trends. That is our challenge: Saga Furs of Scandinavia, the fur auctions, manufacturers, and retailers have a mutual responsibility to inform and educate Chinese consumers. In this way we can benefit the whole industry and increase our mutual potential to sell more high-quality fur,” says Rantanen-Kervinen, who believes that a focus on strong design is key.

“Saga Furs of Scandinavia bases its marketing strategy on the fact that without a trend, there is no consumption, and therefore no production. It is very true. Previously fur sales were good, but all of the designs looked more or less alike. By focusing on the development of new design techniques and by working closely with the international fashion houses, we have developed the market tremendously. We have increased the value of the raw material by offering high-quality design,” says Rantanen-Kervinen.

“I believe that focus on quality is number one, because quality means being able to use fur in many ways. Versatility in production is another objective, because we need to meet new needs by working with more colours, lightweight concepts, and innovative effects. In this way we will be able to inspire manufacturers and designers to continue working with mink and fox in new ways,” she says. “The only way to move forward will be to continuously work on design development, educating designers, manufacturers and, in the end, consumers. We can be inspired to use fur all year long – and aspire to make everybody want a piece of fur in his or her wardrobe.”