Fur brand takes new approach to expand reach

"The whole process, from animal breeding to fur product in a retail shop takes two to three years.

"It is not a short production cycle, especially when we're living such a fast-paced society," says Cui, "Consumer often choose a lifestyle by opting for a certain product. So, just as people like to get away from their busy schedules by taking a break, purchasing a fur garment doesn't just tell people how successful or rich you are, but how much attention you pay to the quality of your life."

Work on the latest collection started almost six months ago, but the idea to broaden the product line has been in Chen's mind for over two years.

It's been 17 years since Satchi entered the Chinese market. But Chen says that though the brand has been producing formal, casual and sports clothing with the same commitment since then, it is now time to look at other opportunities.

So, Chen selected KF as supplier based on his recognition of its strict quality control.

According to Cui, the skins go through time-consuming manual handling. And she says that it is necessary to mix different skins to attain a good color balance in the finished fur product.

The manual checks also focus on elements such as the uneven length of animal hair and uneven surfaces.

Meanwhile, Chen is working with Felefasa, another fur clothing brand from Italy, on sourcing natural fashion fabrics from Europe, such as cashmere from Italy, and also to learn new production techniques.

The hand arched stitching is one of them. For this, craftsmen used small strips of mink as thread for sewing into the skins.

Speaking about the Felefasa link, Chen says: "This integration is helping us to blend techniques and get design inspiration. And it offers consumers not just the chance to wear natural fur, but also be exposed to unique products made using new processing techniques."