QUARTERLY UPDATE
IN THIS ISSUE: First iLux awards Report from Board & Council Meetings
Board and Council meetings are a success
SPRING 2015
REMIX 2015 Risk Management news Interview with Nancy Daigneault, regional director of IFF Americas
Beijing Airport embrace FUR NOW Regional updates
The Council of the IFF met during Sunday 8 February at the premises of Kopenhagen Fur in Glostrup. 81 people attended from 29 countries and members contributed to a wide range of subjects throughout the Council meeting. The Councl were pleased to welcome a new member from the republic of Belarus after approving an application to join from Belpushnina, which brings the IFF's total membership to 50 in 39 countries. The Board and several important other meetings took place throughout the Friday and Saturday. The Sustainable Use and Ecosystems Management working group discussed involvement with third party organisations (such as the IUCN, CITES and FACE), the effort to support further co-operation between Russia and Canada on trap testing and recent announcements by the European Commission on the Seal-Product ban.
CEO Comment The first few months of 2015 have seen strong auction sales in both Europe and America. Once again, the China market has been a key factor and the sales of fur in Northern China have given the market confidence yet again. However, the situation in Russia and the collapse of the Ruble bring pressures in other markets, as travel and financial restrictions impact trade. Prospects for the future look good as the spring catwalks continue to feature fur, which we hope will be reflected in shops later this year. In the months ahead, IFF will launch the next Fur Now campaign and a new retail program aimed at
targeting boutiques currently not stocking fur. We hope these two campaigns will help you grow your business. Finally, we wish a warm welcome to Belarus the newest member of the IFF family.
Update from Fur Europe Fur Europe starts the year 2015 with the aim at reinforcing sustainable development and the long-term competitiveness of the fur sector in Europe. Fur Europe’s goals include the implementation of the Fur Europe Roadmap and its members’ national strategies, the on-going WelFur implementation, the continuous political engagement at EU level, the development of events and communication tools, the search of funding opportunities, and the promotion of fur in fashion.
First iLux awards held in China On 14 January 2015, the Beijing Pine Valley Opera House hosted the first ever iLux Awards ceremony, sponsored by Kopenhagen Fur. Dubbed ‘the Oscars’ of the fur trade, the ‘Holly Awards’ are the first international prizes in the Chinese fur industry. The ceremony in January was the climax of a meticulous selection and judging process that
lasted 12 months and assessed more than 70 candidates. Winners included: Wu Zhi Hong Kong Fur – Holly Rookie of the Year Award, Wu Xuewei – Holly Designer of the Year Award, Xie Yao – Straddling Creative Talents Holly Award and Hua Sinong Industry Development Co., Ltd and Dalian Door Kind of Mink Ltd. – Holly Award.
On 18-20 March, Fur Europe will host the workshop ‘From Animal Liberation to Ethical and Sustainable Fashion’. The workshop will bring together representatives from the European fur sector’s value chain for a session that will analyse the opposition and enhance understanding of their ethical foundation and strategies. Fur Europe’s Annual Meeting will take place on 23-24 April in Frankfurt, and will discuss topics such as women in fur, youth and skills, politics, etc.
Update from Asia region Japan held its Fur Design Competition in November 2014, along with a series of PR events such as promotion in the fashion magazines and pop up stores in department stores. China, Hong Kong and Korea also held their Fur Design Contests in their respective country/region during the month of January 2015. With the collaborative effort of the Asian members and PR companies, the Fur Now campaign was completed with a “loud voice”, positive images and a great success in the region. This included a great effort by Madam Deng Xiaolan to show the FurNow video on all screens in Beijing International Airport from 9-22 January 2015. During Beijing Fur Fair, IFF and YEFC made two exhibitions showcasing fur costumes related to China’s ethnic groups and fur fashion art at the IFF stand. It attracted many guests and promoted fur from a new angle. The Asia Region also complied the industry data for our member countries/region including China, Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. In general, the fur retail business is relative better compare with the similar period last year in Asia Region. With help from IFF’s China Office, CFNA worked with a Beijing TV station to make a programme on animal welfare in fur farms. Financial support was also provided by YEFC.
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Hellenic Fur Federation set up Youth Council Hellenic Fur Federation is aiming to bring young furriers to the forefront of their work and have elected a Council of Young Furriers. The new Members of the Board of the Hellenic Fur Federation (HFF) chose the new representatives for the Young Furriers of the International Fur Federation (IFF) through an open process call. This initiative has been met with great interest from young furriers in Greece.
Those elected to the Council of Young Furriers of HFF will actively participate in the IFF’s Fur Futures group, which supports the next generation of people working with fur around the world. This strategic choice is a priority of the new Board of HFF, in order to promote young furriers participation and the future of our industry.
INTERVIEW
Interview with Nancy Daigneault - regional director of the IFF Americas Region
Update from Eurasia region Marketing research of fur industry in Kazakhstan has been completed and similar studies launched in Russia and Turkey. In Ukraine, extended the rate for 2015, which allows you to import raw fur and processed fur without paying VAT. It is paid after the goods are sold, which helps economically to support enterprises of fur industry of the country.
How did you first come into the fur trade? My background is a bit eclectic as my family does not have a history in the fur trade. I began my life as a journalist, mostly in radio but with some written journalism. I eventually ended up in politics and worked as a political and communications/media advisor for a senior Canadian politician. After leaving politics, I worked as a media and political consultant for five years before being hired as Communications Director at North American Fur Auctions (NAFA). It was there that I became involved with the many different issues and challenges facing the North American fur trade and have been engaged ever since. From fashion to fur farming and everything in between – my role in North America offers many challenges and exciting opportunities and I look forward to continuing to build the region to ensure its long term vialbility. How are you settling in as regional director of the Americas? How does it differ from your previous job at NAFA? My role builds upon my previous employment – NAFA offered me a tremendous opportunity to learn about the many different aspects of the fur trade and for that, I’m very greatful. I can now take the insights gained from NAFA and apply that knowledge in my new role. I am looking forward to helping all programs in the Americas become stronger and even more successful. It is a welcome challenge and a wonderful opportunity.
What are the projects you’re currently working on and what do the Americas region hope to achieve in the next 12 months? There are many issues we are currently dealing with in the Americas. Of course, the anti-fur activists are always an issue as is animal welfare, humane trapping standards, fashion and more. From an administrative stand point, the Americas is hoping to become more streamlined with more focus on effective measurement tools and ending duplicative programs. It is so important to ensure that the programs we are investing in meet their goals and objectives to the best of their ability. Devising operational strategies and methods to quantify our programs is a focus for the Americas for the coming year. What is exciting you about the fur industry right now? I think the fur industry is always exciting – there’s never a shortage of issues to manage, or exciting opportunities that await. It is always encouraging to see new designers incorporate fur in innovative new ways. Watching Hollywood stars embrace fur and seeing a younger generation of people wanting to wear fur offers tremendous opportunities for the future. Tell us something about yourself that nobody else would know. Besides being a busy mom of three, I enjoy running and getting involved in my community. If I had a few hours to myself, I would probably read a good book. I enjoy historical/political books and novels. My favorite author is Ernest Hemmingway.
Kazakhstan Fur Trade and industrial Association launched their website (www. kazfur.asia). The Eurasia region also welcomes a new member to the family. Belpushnina from Belarus was approved at the February IFF Council meeting and both the Eurasia region and IFF look forward to working with them in the near future.
Update from Americas region We have been extremely busy in recent months putting together a budget for the upcoming year, evaluating the successes of our programs and the challenges that lie ahead. Current chairman Mike Mengar, CEO of NAFA, has done a wonderful job of guiding the region from its infancy and now hands the reigns over to Joe Morelli, CEO of American Legend. IFF Americas is very thankful for Mr. Mengar’s leadership and is looking forward to welcoming Mr. Morelli to the helm. In the U.S., Fur Wraps the Hill (FWTH) scored a major victory with respect to asiatic raccoon, preventing the Humane Society from adopting ‘raccoon dog’ in the fur product name guide. Another triumph occurred in West Hollywood, as Fur Information Council of America (FICA) and FWTH worked together to successfully challenge the attempted enforcement proceeding brought against a retailer opposed to the fur ban. In Canada, the Fur Institute of Canada (FIC) achieved a notable win against the animal rights activists’ attempt to persuade the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to scrap their iconic muskrat fur hats. The FIC’s second annual ‘Fur Day on the Hill’ expanded its reach with more federal ministers attending the annual banquet. The Fur Council of Canada (FCC) continued with its expansion of the ‘rapid response’ program to respond to negative media stories. In Brazil, lobbying activities took centre stage as the ban on fur farming in Sao Paulo became the focus and on-going efforts are continuing to ensure this ban doesn’t become a dangerous precedent in other jurisdictions.
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Risk Management News Animal rights crime figures continue to tumble. For the 7th straight year animal rights crime figures are lower than the previous year. Statistics show that not only are crimes continuing to fall but that 2014 returned the fewest number of crimes for over 12 years. Crimes targeting all animal-using industries, whilst falling, remain consistent unlike the drastic reductions.
Seen by the fur industry. Of the 33 crimes targeting the fur industry last year 25 were in Europe, 6 in the Americas, 1 in Eurasia and 1 in a non-member country. The figures below in black are those targeting all animal use and the figures in red represent those against the fur industry. Further analysis will be provided in future on line news editions.
Beijing airport embrace the FurNow campaign From 9-22 January 2015, Beijing airport displayed the FurNow video on all of their TV screens, to coincide with arrivals for Beijing International Fur Fair. Playing 45 times a day, the opportunity gained huge exposure for the campaign and was made possible thanks to the effort of Madam Deng Xiaolan and Air Media Group. The total advertisement value was around 1 million RMB and was seen by 230,000 passengers every day. Beijing Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world.
Creating an international Inuit alliance
REMIX 2015 The 12 finalists have now been selected and national associations and applicants have been contacted. For the second year running, Vogue Italia will be sole sponsor of REMIX, the international fur design competition organised by IFF and supported by Vogue Talents. After a three-month selection process involving 44 delegations worldwide, the finalists are invited to the Pelota in Milan for the REMIX grand finale on 4th March 2015, where the final judging will take place based on a runway presentation. Each designer will show three looks that include fur garments and accessories as well as other nonfur items so that fur is seen in a holistic, natural context. Franca Sozzani, editor-in-chief at Vogue Italia will act as president of the jury. Serving on the jury are
Sara Maino, senior editor, Vogue Italian and head of Vogue Talents as well as other influential fashion writers, designers and high profile bloggers. We are delighted to have secured involvement from Vogue Italia for the second year running. The quality of young talent showcased at REMIX year after year is extraordinary as participants push the boundaries and re-invent this most versatile of materials. The fact that Vogue Italia has recognised this and continues to extend its support is the highest accolade any of us could hope to achieve. Knowing that any winning designs will feature in Vogue Italia is also wonderful encouragement to all our REMIX entrants and guarantees they will all be playing at the top of their game.
For more information or to send us news: furtimes@iftf.com. www.
.com
From 8-15 January a delegation from Denmark, Greenland and IFF travelled to Canada and met with Inuit-sealing stakeholder groups. Meetings in Ottawa were facilitated by David Hutton from Fur Institute Canada including with Minister for Environment Leona Aqlukkaq and several representatives from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The delegation then travelled far North to the territory of Nunavut meeting the local Ministries for Environment and Economic Development, local hunters/trappers and Inuit organizations there. There was also significant outreach to the media with the delegation giving local television and radio interviews. The delegation secured widespread support for an Inuit campaign under the organization Inuit Sila to Europe this year to promote market access for Inuit pelts. This organization and its events are intended to create an independently pan-Inuit and pro-animal-use voice that can be heard by decision-makers in Europe, especially on the topic of seals.