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Nurturing Creativity for the Future
FCUSA's Teresa Platt visits Denmark and the Saga International Design Centre
IN THE LAST TWENTY YEARS, Scandinavia has most surely made its design imprint on the U.S., as everyone who has visited an Ikea knows well. And Denmark is up there with the best of them. From glass to kitchenware to furniture to clothing, the Danes have a strong sense of style.
This peninsula with two islands covers a land area about twice the size of Massachusetts where virtually every one of its 5.5 million inhabitants speaks English well.
The capital, Copenhagen, was spared the battles of two world wars and the magnificent old buildings remain standing, expressively painted in bright yellow, brilliant red and a wild yellow-orange mix I call Copenhagen Mango. The city has a seafaring history of conquerors, explorers and traders, and its harbor areas remain vibrant today. Along with water taxis, people use bicycles to make their way around this flat, flat land. Traffic is relatively light and blissfully quiet – absolutely no one uses their horns. The country is a visual delight.
North to Saga
Saga International Design Centre (SIDC) is a short drive north of Copenhagen and so I took advantage of being at the IFTF meetings in late August to make the trip. I took the slow route, up the eastern seaboard, an area blessed by a current warmer than California! Picturesque bays dot the coast and are visited by steamers, sailboats and motor yachts.
I drove along a winding road to the SIDC past villages and through lovely countryside. My host, Tom Steifel-Kristensen of Saga Furs of Scandinavia, greeted me warmly.
"To inspire, to innovate and to instigate," is their well-earned motto. The Centre is located in a converted farmhouse that has held on to its charm while establishing itself as a bridge to the future. Built in 1919, it boasts a thatched roof and a new coat of whitewash. Surrounded by acres of manicured grounds fringed by towering trees, it is a peaceful setting. The reception area features the best of the old and the new: modern fixtures and art rest easily on substantial farmhouse walls above well cared-for wood floors. This place is a retreat but a working retreat. An oversized brass bell hangs inside the front door and is used, bright and early, so that the creative working process can begin with the new day.
Upstairs are rooms for nine students or guests. In its airy studios, designers are introduced to established fur-handling procedures and exciting new techniques for working with the world's oldest fabric - next to Adam and Eve's fig leaves, of course!
The workrooms are awash in color, texture and techniques: knit, net, mesh, smocking, crochet, lace - all incorporating fine leathers and fur. "Look at fur as a fabric," explained Steifel-Kristensen simply.
Saga Furs opened the SIDC 10 years ago, since when it has hosted some of the world's most talented designers: Fendi, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, oh my! It is supported by a 1% pelt assessment collected on approximately 14 million mink and fox pelts sold at three auction houses: Copenhagen Fur Centre, Finnish Fur Sales and the Oslo Fur Auction.
Technical Development
The key here is technical research and development for the golden age of fur.
But I began to wonder, with so much being done to fur, can one now start with an inferior pelt? Does quality really matter anymore when the pelt is dyed, sheared or woven back on itself?
"Quality plays an even more important role," said Steifel-Kristensen reassuringly.
He explained the importance of proper fleshing techniques, careful scraping and cleaning, to ensure a pelt that is consistent in its ability to receive the dyes and treatments across the entire fabric.
It is important, he added, to process the pelts as soon as possible, not to wait six months. So on-farm processing maintains an advantage in this techno-savvy new world. Small farmers, take note!
Oxygenation must be avoided, especially in garments that are reversible. The quality of the leather side is critical in the new mink shearlings, as important as the fur side. A thinner leather is also desirable for delivering a lighter weight garment, but this must be achieved without compromising the leather. Seams now often follow the natural line of the pelt, allowing the garment to be built without stretching the pelt or laser cutting. In other words, it is the natural integrity of the pelt that gives the garment its strength and durability. Hence, the farmers' work raising the animals and the dressers' efforts at processing the pelts are under intensive evaluation.
For some of the new processes, the underfur on some pelts is too thick and certain buyers are actively seeker farmers who produce a lighter weight pelt with less underfur. Look for these changes at auction.
For farmers visiting Europe, a trip to SIDC is an investment in yourself. Take the time to make the journey. You'll be surprised at what you learn about your pelts and what happens to them after they leave the farm.
See also:
FCUSA Press Kit Special Feature : Euro-Watch
For further information contact: Teresa Platt, Executive Director, Fur Commission USA, PMB 506, 826 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118-2698 USA, (619) 575-0139, (619) 575-5578/fax, furfarmers@aol.com, www.furcommission.com.
To take a cyber-tour of a fur farm, visit Fur Commission USA's Fur on Film at http://www.furcommission.com/video/index.htm