fur fashion

A full mink coat may still be out of reach for most Chinese consumers, but furriers are expecting increasing market demand as the new trends in fur fashion begin to surface in the Chinese market. Fur is becoming a fashion fabric that promises to cater to the needs of increasingly wealthy consumers in China. At sector fairs in 2003, new fur-garment designs were seen everywhere, such as coats lined with fur and jeans jackets with fur trim. Following a global fashion trend, native materials are no longer confined to pricey full-fur garments, but are now widely used for accessories and combined with textiles. This new fur look fits well with China’s booming fashion interests and search for flashy but affordable clothing.

In 2002, drawn by the huge potential buying power of China, a number of the world’s leading fur merchants opened new offices in Beijing. Experts in the industry say that the dramatic resurgence of fur as a hot international fashion trend presents special challenges and extraordinary business opportunities for Chinese furriers and manufacturers. The change is likely to lead China’s fur industry into a new chapter of development.

China, according to Xu Chunchao, vice-president of China National Native Produce and Animal By-products Import and Export Corporation (China Tuhsu), has become the world’s largest producer of pelts, owing to what soon may be the world’s largest fur market. But the country is still only able to offer low-end and mid-range products. The level of Chinese technology in tanning, dressing and craftsmanship is relatively low, and most fur factories have made little progress in brand-building, according to experts. Since Chinese people are becoming more and more brand conscious, they still prefer foreign brands.

The fur industry is complex and the business chain is very long, involving work by fur farmers, processors, auction houses, designers and manufacturers. The fragmented sector is administered by several departments, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. China has been in the International Fur Trade Federation since 1986 only through the membership of China Tuhsu, a foreign trade company, while other countries are mainly represented by their national associations. Still, through efficient regulations, people in the industry aim at making China’s mostly middle-sized and small enterprise fur industry global.

PAOLA ZAMPERINI