by Sean John - Online Saga Magazine - Saga Furs

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ALL MALE 

by Sean John 

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Fancy for fur 

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ANNONCE

The Designer's Choice 

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The world of fashion and luxury is changing dramatically. Green thinking 

is all around us, as it is becoming a mainstream consumer trend in most 

markets. Eventually, it will impact globally on all luxury products. Consumers 

might think in terms of responsibility and sustainability, but at the same 

time, these values will become a default feature in the fashion and luxury 

business. When consumers buy a product from one of the mega-brands, 

they will quite simply take for granted that all aspects of the product are 

wholesome. 

In the future, it will become the responsibility of the brand owners to make 

sure their products meet the high demands of the new smart green consumers. 

In their turn, the consumers will hold the brand owners responsible. 

Any mistakes will be punished promptly at the cash register. Social, environmental 

and ethical issues are now key business components and not only 

clever headlines in slick press releases. 

Through the years, Saga Furs has represented one of the true and eternal 

luxury items coveted by women since the dawn of time. Our pedigree 

is, and has always been, above reproach. Today we represent the healthy 

choice in a world where there are many different 

fur types that all have their own ethical 

profile regarding methods of production. 

At Saga Furs we take pride in what we do, and 

how well we do it. We believe that a high level 

of quality and responsibility should apply from 

fur farm to consumer. We are guided by strong 

principles, and we have always made commitments 

to animal welfare. Our STS® system, 

Saga Traceability System, creates the transparency 

that is vital in order to create confidence 

in our brand. We have also devised a certification 

scheme for our farms, ensuring that only 

farms of the highest quality can be associated 

with the Saga Furs brand. 

Whether you are in the fur trade, the fashion 

business, or have some other link to the exciting 

world of fur, I hope you will join Saga Furs 

in a brave new world, where sustainability and 

responsibility are keys to growth and higher 

brand equity. 

Yours sincerely, 

Jan Erik Carlson, CEO 

SAGA FURS 

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As soft as a powder puff, fur continues to be a star attraction on Milanese 

catwalks. Wraps that barely touch the skin, short, body-hugging, jackets, 

coats that highlight contours and sophisticated, discreet details to be 

flaunted on all occasions. Creations for the 2008-2009 autumn/winter 

season defy the rigours of winter and focus on sensuality: slightly bared 

shoulders embraced by delicate fur, backs framed by elegant dresses 

featuring voluminous fox sleeves, slits that show legs caressed by mink 

hems. For the new season, sophisticated female delicacy is dressed by a 

tailored mannish minimalism. Key colours include all the various shades of 

brown, grey which shades off decisively into anthracite and more delicately 

into dove grey or pearl, midnight blue, corn yellow and luminous white. 

References are made to the Seventies, casual chic and charm blend 

harmonio harmoniously to give life to unusual combinations for a true declaration 

of independence. independence. The The pa parka is reinterpreted in a contemporary key, hoods, 

sleeves slee sleeves and and collars collars are enriched enriched by 

luxe details. Volumes and shapes are 

exagg exaggerated xaggera gerated 

te and and magnified. magnified. A large, large, shea sheared fur coat is worn with a 

high-wai high-waisted h waisted 

sted lea leather ther th her or 

damask damask sheath sheath dress. dress. Palazzo Palazzo ppants 

are worn 

with with bon bon bon-ton -ton -to coa coats oats 

ts featu featu ffeaturing ring narrow, narrow, elongated elongated silhouet silhouettes. 

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20128 Milano - Via Teocrito, 47 - Ph +39 02 252071 - fax +39 02 27000692 - abbonamenti@bema.it - www.bema.it 

For more information www-pelliccemoda.com - SUBSCRIBE Now! 

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Cappotto di lince. Foulard vintage Lanvin by Miss Ghinting, bijoux Sharra Pagano, calze Gallo. 

Lynk coat. Vintage scarf, Lanvin by Miss Ghinting, costume jewellery, Sharra Pagano, hosiery, Gallo 

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Outerwear will be a strong trend on 

the catwalk and we will be seeing a 

huge variety of coats, capes, vests, 

short-sleeve jackets and ponchos in the season 

to come. Thinking outside the box is a 

must as the fashion-conscious consumer demands 

pieces that are special and unique to a 

personal wardrobe. 

We live in a time when the choices an individual 

makes become an essential element 

in personalized surroundings, and life itself. 

What we put on our bodies is of vital importance--clothes 

should reflect our way of thinking 

and living, and underline the uniqueness 

of each personality. 

Here are a few trends to consider for the 

coming season. 

Dorte Lenau Klint, creative director at Saga Furs 

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Saga Furs has always been a trailblazer. When the 

company was founded almost 55 years ago, the 

central idea was to create and promote a luxury 

brand that people could trust. Nowadays, in a digitalized 

world where information (and disinformation) 

is just a click away, the Saga Furs label has become the 

hallmark of responsible fur. 

Consumers of top-end products need to know about 

the quality of the luxury they are buying, but they also 

want to rest assured that social, environmental and ethical 

considerations are represented in a label. 

Furrier Hilde Lillegård, a Norwegian furrier from 

Atelier Henry Phillip and a lecturer at the design school 

Esmod tells how important peace of mind is to her. 

“Customers ask, and many know about the Saga Furs 

label, and I make a point of telling them about it. They 

like to hear it, and this is important,” she says. “Customers 

want the Saga Furs label as it has earned a reputation 

as a trusted traditional brand. And when I show 

them garments in which the furs come from abroad, 

and compare them to Saga Furs, they immediately see 

the difference”. 

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The Saga Furs label stands for many things, but traceability 

is one of the most important. A consumer who 

buys a fur piece can trace the materials back to the farm 

of origin. All Saga Furs originate from farms in the EU 

or Norway and this fact alone reassures consumers. 

But it’s the extra step that makes the difference. Finnish 

Fur Sales, where all Saga Furs pelts are sold, has 

introduced a farm certification programme that raises 

national standards for animal welfare and ethics above 

those recommended by the EU. 

Saga Furs corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme 

contains the guidelines the company will follow 

to take extra steps toward environmental concerns, ethics 

and activities for giving something back to society. 

“We have a vision for our product, and the tools to 

realize this. Our product is truly a luxury product, but 

we can say we promote responsible fur. This adds value, 

for the buyer, designer, retailer and ultimately the consumer,” 

says Saga Furs CEO Jan Erik Carlson. “This is 

a key element in building up our unequalled position 

as an attractive luxury product—attractive in more than 

just the aesthetic sense. And of course, we have always 

been the innovators designers turn to.” 

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To be sure, Saga Design Centre is most noted for being 

the first to invite designers, furriers, teachers and the 

press to the Workshop, where Saga Furs develops new 

uses for fur through advanced techniques. Designers 

marvel at what they see and learn there, but a visit to 

Saga Design Centre includes much more than creativity. 

“I hear it time and time again, that the consumer 

wants to know about the source of the fur used in a 

garment or accessory,” says Carlson. “A very important 

segment of each seminar involves background. Let’s 

take a designer. He or she gets an opportunity to work 

with the most beautiful fur in the world, but the person 

also wants to know about the ethical values contained 

in that skin. We provide that reassurance and can document 

it all through our traceability programme and all 

other elements contained in the Saga Furs label. It’s not 

unusual to see a sigh of relief coming from a designer.” 

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Dennis Basso pays personal attention to customers 

in his Madison Avenue flagship store, conversing 

with them as they shop for some of the 

most exclusive fur garments in the world. For a quarter 

century he has been serving customers who are also 

exclusive. “I have been privileged to be able to design 

fur for some of the most important people in the world, 

women from show biz, the social set, top professionals,” 

says Basso. “These women are tastemakers for the 

world. It’s the highest form of compliment for me.” 

Though he is reluctant to drop names, the opening 

of Basso’s flagship store on Madison drew an impressive 

list of celebs: Donald Trump, Patti Labelle, Joan 

Collins, Liza Minnelli, Naomi Campbell, Dan Aykroyd. 

The gathering was a virtual Who’s Who. 

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Basso started his first shop 1983 and his activities have 

grown ever since. He now has fur boutiques in Aspen, 

Chicago, and Atlantic City as well as the main store 

in his hometown. The shops are, obviously, situated 

where there is a well-heeled clientele who consider fur 

to be a must. 

In 2007 he launched his first ready-to-wear line. “I 

was putting clothing under the furs for the runways and 

photo shoots, so I figured, why not design the garments 

that I use.” Another successful venture that began a 

few years ago is Basso’s sales of faux furs, clothing and 

accessories on the QVC TV channel. The Dennis Basso 

label has very great attraction. 

The design and manufacture of the Basso lines is 

handled at a 30,000-square-foot facility outside Manhattan. 

He has eight people working at the site, but 

Basso himself is a master furrier with years of expertise 

gained from working in every phase of fur production. 

The garments and accessories bearing the Dennis 

Basso label are designed by him and his selected team 

of “young people with fresh ideas, as creativity is such a 

vital link in the process.” Basso smiles, however, when 

he admits to having veto rights to designs. “Inspiration 

is a mood or a trend that is a reflection of the past 25 

years. Retro doesn’t work – it’s all about interpretation,” 

he says. 

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Dennis Basso has witnessed a lot of changes in the fur 

universe during the past 25 years, “Fur types generally 

go in cycles, but we are at a point now where many different 

furs are in fashion. Fur is part of a fashion statement,” 

he says. 

The fur garment was generally a once-in-a-lifetime 

purchase, but now women incorporate fur into their 

seasonal wardrobes. “Fur was specific for an occasion, 

it was a lifetime purchase,” says Basso. “Now it is a fashion 

purchase.” 

Fur has retained its intrinsic appeal as the most luxurious 

of materials, but ways to use fur have undergone 

drastic change in the past few decades When he started 

out in the business, Basso catered mainly to a “mature” 

customer, but now women in their 20s are wearing fur. 

“It’s the interpretation in an unorthodox manner, and 

that attracts young people,” he says. “Lightness is one 

of the greatest innovations in fur. A coat used to weigh 

ten pounds, now you get a coat that is as light as a feather, 

stylish, and supple – this is very important.” 

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New thinking attracts a new customer and developments 

in fur have spurred the popularity of fur as a raw 

material. “Saga Furs has always been taking steps forward. 

The company is a leader in creativity and coming 

up with interesting new things, processes, colour, 

textures. It has helped fur to become part of the modern 

sophisticated wardrobe.” 

Not only have applications for fur undergone a virtual 

metamorphosis, the availability of fur has expanded 

dramatically. Fur is certainly a mainstay of haute 

couture collections, but RTW and mainstream retailers 

have been showing more and more fur, mainly as trim. 

“The accessibility of fur has changed, the Mom & Pop 

fur shop is slowly disappearing,” Basso says. “You see 

the expansion of fur in an atypical setting.” 

The luxe end of the fashion landscape has also seen 

shifts. Years ago, top-end consumers had to travel to 

Italy or France to find the latest trends, but top fashion 

is now found in major cities around the world. As Basso 

puts it: “Now the whole world is a shopping avenue,” 

and women from around the world come to shop in his 

luxurious boutiques.

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But he takes a practical approach to it 

as well: “I never let it become so precious 

that it would prevent me from 

experimenting. I move towards it as another 

element, otherwise I’d prevent creativity. I 

can use it as a canvas for my designs. I like 

to use imagery. I like to make a boom, something 

shocking. Nothing is subtle; I don’t drop 

hints. I want people to get what I’m doing.” 

Scott’s dollar sign ensemble in Saga Furs ® 

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Mink provides the perfect example. “The dollar 

signs were inlaid. It blew my mind that it 

could be done that way and not have to print 

it.” 

Scott doesn’t need to look to other designers, 

for him the story is in the fur. “The inspiration 

for me is in the medium, it’s not as if 

one person or persons inspire me,” he notes. 

“Personally I’m more inspired by the story 

I’m trying to tell.” 

Scott approaches fur as any other material. 

He loves its resiliency. It can be abused and 

still responds. He humbly credits his fur enthusiasm 

to Saga Furs. “I’m blessed and proud 

to have the support of Saga Furs in my career 

and so fortunate to be able to make iconic 

works. Fur has an innate beauty. It’s classic, 

it can maintain its integrity. Therefore, it’s a 

staple in our lives, in our wardrobes.”

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This winter restrained opulence is the key, with structure and tailoring the winners. 

Delicately colourful fur collars and trims on the embossed leather and 

spangled lace of Christian Lacroix’s virtuoso performance, richly coloured 

cuffs and hems in Jean Paul Gaultier’s corsetry-inspired collection, Givenchy’s savage 

Andean hoods and gilets, coy mink hems on Chanel’s full-skirted coats. And the 

drama of Armani’s finely-worked grey mink coat or the purity of satin-trimmed black 

shaved mink in Alessandra Facchinetti’s acclaimed first couture for Valentino prove 

fur’s position as an essential fabric in the couture armoury.

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Sean “P Diddy” Combs may have a hip-hop background, 

but he certainly dresses with the sense of class that is reflected 

in his clothing line, Sean John. In the autumn-winter 

‘08-’09 Sean John collection, real men will get the chance to 

wrap themselves in the luxury of fur, while the garments virtually 

shout “testosterone.” 

At New York Fashion Week, in a runway show with the theme 

”The Story of a King,” Combs celebrated the 10th anniversary 

of the Sean John line with a lot of splash. It was a truly royal 

show in a mix of classic elegance and upmarket casual wear for 

the urbane male. The extravaganza at the posh Cipriani Club 

marked the introduction of Sean John’s cooperation with Saga 

Furs and it was the first time in five years the label had shown 

in New York. The presentation was a kind of kick-off for Sean 

John’s ventures abroad. 

Saga Furs was on hand backstage to observe how “Puffy” 

handled preparations and put his fingerprint on final touches. 

He played a hands-on role in developing the asymmetrical jack- 

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ets, classic fur-trimmed jackets, fur coats, suits, knits and 

tapered pants that hit the runway. The show gained a 

lot of play in fashion and mainstream media, and MTV 

was there to document an event that attracted quite a 

few famous faces. A first for any fashion house, Combs 

used only African-American models in what was a clear 

tribute to African-American designers who came before 

him. 

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Sean John featured a showstopper black sheared mink 

coat, a grey mink sweater, a slew of mink and fox trims 

and a stunning knitted black mink sweater. Saga Furs 

was an obvious choice for the house, as the superb quality 

the label represents perfectly matches the Sean John 

image. Sean John designers drew upon 20 years of expertise 

and fur development at Saga Design Centre to 

realize their visions for the furs in the collection. An 

important reason for choosing Saga Furs was the company’s 

50-year reputation for top-standard ethics and 

commitment to supporting its partners. 

”We have been very excited about working with Sean 

John and look forward to doing more in the future,” 

says Saga Furs CEO Jan Erik Carlson. ”As we’ve done 

in the past, we supported the designer, before, during 

and after the show.” 

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The group’s corporate social responsibility policy and 

its farm certification program that goes beyond European 

legislation were value-added elements of the part- 

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nership. The design and retail house was concerned 

with much more than simply getting fur garments on 

the runway. Saga Furs provided support from early design 

stages, through the phase of production and all the 

way to the show, but an important element was also 

assisting with media relations. 

The match between Saga Furs and Sean John began 

at Fur Vision, Saga Furs annual event for revealing to 

designers and furriers the latest developments in fur. 

”Designers are clearly inspired at Fur Vision and feel 

the flow of creativity, but we do much more,” says Saga 

Furs’ director of international activities Charles Ross. 

”We help designers resource their production, introduce 

them to top retailers that only use Saga Furs labels. And 

what is very important, we support the designer after 

the show.” 

At the end of the runway show, supermodel-TV host 

Tyson Beckford escorted Sean Combs out on the runway 

to take a bow – in his signature three-piece suit.

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WWW.GEORGJENSEN.COM 

FOR LOCATIONS CALL: +45 3814 9898 

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Jean Paul Gaultier’s 

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“The creative side of this job is what I love. For me it is 

not work, so I’m always designing at home or on vacation. 

Here, at the office I don’t have the time for such 

things - I do interviews, fittings and manage different 

affairs,” says Jean Paul Gaultier. He beams a treacherous 

smile as he sits on the sofa of his stunning headquarters 

with white Christo-style wrapped furniture and 

dress dolls in exquisite couture robes inspired by Hans 

Christian Andersen’s fairytale, The Little Mermaid. 

In the connecting room there are rows of fall pieces 

with multiple themes in fur. When Mother Nature was 

the prevailing theme during the Parisian fall collections, 

the case was literal at Gaultier. Masses of Saga 

Furs mink and fox adorned the catwalk in both his 

women’s and men’s shows. The designer played with 

volumes and contrasts by mixing long and short fur, 

with a preference for natural skins and colours. Even 

the fox of Jean de la Fontaine’s fables was the cause of 

envy as a lush bag with its head, tail and claws intact. 

“I have always used fur, even before I did my first 

own collection, since I started in couture where they 

used it all the time. At that time there were endless rows 

of furriers in Paris and I bathed myself in it. I made a 

collection for Chambert, who was an important furrier 

in the Sixties and Seventies and we travelled to show 

the furs to people such as the Shah of Iran. I worked 

for Paul Rottenberg Vison, who specialized in mink in 

all different sorts of aspects. So my learning was very 

diverse,” tells Gaultier. 

The French master began his collaboration with Saga 

Furs with a visit to the Saga Design Centre 11 years 

ago. The relationship between the two grew through 

the years and Gaultier has trotted scores of pieces in 

Saga Furs onto runways through the years. 

Today, fur panels interlaced with chiffon are a part of 

his signature style, shown as a pleated skirt, sleeves or 

a jacket. The design theme is always integrated in the 

fur – in his latest couture show Scottish tartan. 

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Widely known as the enfant terrible of the fashion 

world for his constant ability to challenge stereotypes, 

Gaultier is also one of the last couturiers who learned 

the craft from the great masters. 

On his 18th birthday in 1970, Gaultier started as an 

assistant at Pierre Cardin’s studio after having sent him 

some sketches. Later, he worked at Jacques Esterel, 

where he learned most of what would become his signature 

style. He also assisted the couturier, Jean Patou 

before starting his own label in 1976.

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Obsessed with haute couture, Gaultier, opened his 

own couture atelier in 1996, at a time when other fashion 

houses turned their back to what had become an 

increasingly unprofitable craft. The venture was risky, 

but nevertheless became a great success, which gave 

him renewed respect. No one can make a shoulder like 

Jean Paul Gaultier, and while his stupendous couture 

dresses are ordered by clients from all over the world, 

the suits are the real bestsellers. 

“I’ve always enjoyed the research, but the goal is all 

the time to make clothes which will be worn and appreciated 

- what the people want. Fashion is not for a 

museum or for the research itself. That is the base. And 

a provocation is not a provocation if it is just. It is only 

a remise au point. Like when you adjust the hour hands 

of a clock,” he says. 

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Almost four decades after his start, Gaultier considers 

fur to be an integral part of his DNA. There’s always 

fur in his collections and his formative years influenced 

him so much that he even adapted the fur techniques 

to his textiles. 

“When I started, the savoir faire was just incredible 

and one hundred percent haute couture. Gathering 

skins together and stretching them was very inspira- 

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tional. You multiply the size of a small piece of fur and 

I did the same thing with the fabric. It cost a fortune, 

like embroidery, but it was interesting because it gave 

me a new material. 

“I was never afraid of abusing the fur. I dyed it like 

jeans and turned it inside out and showed what you 

were not supposed to show. Once I even dyed the reverse 

to make it look like black varnish; like a patchwork 

print on plastic cloth. Today I’m quite proud of 

contributing to the development and refinement of 

these techniques. Of course, I wasn’t the only one to 

do new things with fur - Fendi made some incredible 

research and (the French furrier) Beaulieu put fur on 

Greek tissue and turned it inside out to show all the 

detailed work. I was a part of this movement. There 

was a constant demand for new things and shapes and 

the idea was to not treat fur in the traditional way,” he 

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The cultural changes of society had also changed the 

perception of fur. 

“The women’s lib movement meant that fur suddenly 

represented a kept woman – a poule de luxe in a white 

fox and lots of makeup. I did the contrary and put fur 

with jeans as if it wasn’t precious at all.

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Gaultier tells how the 1970s also saw a dramatic upheaval 

in the French fur industry. Changing attitudes, 

economic factors and other influences reduced the 

number of furriers in France. 

A fur aficionado, Gaultier is an ardent defender of 

this noble material and a key player in maintaining the 

status of Paris as an unequalled dynamo in fur creativity. 

While the landscape of the French fur industry has 

changed, it is the violence and the fanaticism of the 

anti-fur activists which disturbs him the most – when 

they harass the staff at the shops or demonstrate during 

the shows. 

“ I have always been very honest about my position. 

At one time when I knew that they would arrive at my 

show, I was prepared. I had asked the security people, 

as soon as the antis would walk in, to wrap them up in 

a fur and get them out. At least, when they are violent, 

we are humorous. The sad thing is that their cause has 

become a business and a raison de vivre and so, you cannot 

reason with them,” he says. 

To the designer, it is utter hypocrisy. 

“First of all, we use farmed animals, which means 

that they are killed humanely. Furthermore, several of 

them, like rabbit, we eat. People are for animals’ rights 

but nevertheless eat animals. They don’t eat people yet 

– we prefer to kill them in wars!” 

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“The first thing man wore was a fur skin. In the beginning 

it was about protecting oneself and so, an animal 

was killed. And animals are also predators; it is the law 

of Nature that you cannot change. Obviously, we don’t 

want to live like prehistoric men and we don’t kill the 

animals in the same way. But natural fur is an ecological 

material and the basis of mankind,” says Gaultier, 

who always includes fur in his men’s collections in different 

shapes and forms. It adds a virile effect when he 

shows a man with a fox stole casually slung over his 

shoulders. 

“I have always said that there are no restaurants for 

only men, women or specific religions. You mix, and 

in fashion it is the same. In my women’s collections I 

have always shown an androgynous side, which can be 

very sexy. The man I have made more sensitive. That 

is my style, if I have one – the mix between femininity 

and masculinity.” 

At one point, I wanted to use fur all the time, since 

the material is so beautiful and impossible to imitate. 

The touch and the warmth are extraordinary. The longer 

and the lighter the fur the better. Fur is sensual. 

And perhaps also erotic. But most importantly it is indispensable.” 

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Rubin Singer’s 2008 fall collection was inspired by Fritz Lang’s 

1927 silent movie Metropolis. The film was about the creation 

of a Frankenstein-type robot, built to generate the electricity 

that fuels the city–the heart machine. It moved Singer to create pieces 

with metallic futuristic designs, in contrast to the deep greys, greens 

and solemn blacks. One piece included a gloriously copper fur collar 

using fox. “I wanted the collection to have the art deco feel of the 

1920s,” he says. 

“My designs are an evolution,” he says. “My first collection was 

about grammar because I was making my first sentence, my first statement 

as a designer. So it was all about punctuation. My second collection 

was inspired by construction; how I was building my brand. 

This collection was inspired by the film and that failure of humans 

to contain love, it cannot be contained.” Singer produced a sombre, 

sophisticated and yet so wistfully feminine line. 

Singer is enthusiastic about the versatility of fur. “Fur is one of my 

favourite materials,” he says. He’s also impressed by the many different 

ways it can be layered, cut, inlaid and dyed. Fur’s versatility gives 

Singer many textures to play with. “But I don’t think you can abuse 

fur--you should never abuse anything,” he adds. “I mean, you can’t 

expect chiffon to behave as taffeta. You cannot make it do something 

that another fabric does. You will end up ruining the very essence of 

what the fabric is.” In the case of fur: “You must respect it, understand 

it and then you can manipulate in a variety of ways.” 

He appreciates all types of fur: “from mink; broad tail, long hair, 

fox, you name it.” 

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Russian blood is thicker than water. “It’s in me,” he says. “I’m the 

third generation--my grandfather, my father, now me.” His grandfather, 

whom he is named after, was one of the most celebrated couturiers 

of the Soviet Union and even dressed Stalin. His father, Alik, 

created costumes for The Bolshoi Ballet. 

“For those who aren’t Russian or are American,” he says to illustrate 

the influence of Russian culture on his design, “it’s the Anna 

Karenina and Dr. Zhivago--that type of archetypal imagery.” 

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He notes that every culture has a certain sensibility. “My roots very 

much influence my design.” Everything about Russian culture: the 

language, the food, the music, literature—the entirety of it, makes an 

impression that is carried over into his work. “Russia has had its highs 

and lows. It is a culture caught between east and west,” he says. “But 

there is a Russian consciousness, a sensibility of fur and what it is.” 

Every culture has a sensibility that is intrinsic to it. Same of Russia: 

Sombre, heavy under current. “You can capture the traditional Russia 

in couture; the raised collars, full sleeves, structured pieces, the 

silhouettes.” 

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“I enjoy the opportunity to create something that begins as not so 

feminine, and then have it result in being so sensual. Something that is 

very sexy, so purely feminine. Something that builds and crescendos 

throughout.” 

He credits his family for his innate sense of design. “What I am 

and what I know is from my parents,” he says. “My tragedy is that 

my mother died when I was 18 years old. But she still guides me in 

an indirect way.” 

Singer feels that because he has kept her in his heart he is able to 

do what he does. Russian sons honour their mothers in many different 

ways. “The memory of my mother, always guiding me, influences 

me,” he says. “I love the idea of working with fur for women, it’s a 

pleasure just to be able to work with something strong and powerful 

that is for women who are strong and powerful. 

“I love the opportunity to innovate, to learn.” When asked if there’s 

something he hasn’t done with fur that he’d like to do, Singer reveals a 

sly smile: “Absolutely, yes! But I don’t know what it is yet.” 

He admits he wouldn’t disclose it even if he did know. “Truthfully, I 

probably wouldn’t be able to tell, there’s such a myriad of opportunities 

with fur—like knitting, you just have to wait and see.” 

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“Tutor seminars are obviously extremely valuable opportunities for 

sharing fur techniques, old and new, with people who will be passing 

on what they learn at Saga Design Centre to students at their respective 

schools. It’s vital for a teacher to feel the fur and understand the 

nature of the material in order to visualize and realize its creative 

potential. But it’s not just the teachers who learn; it’s a give-and-take 

situation that allows me and my staff at Saga Design Centre to absorb 

their ideas, learn what their students want, and this inspires us towards 

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even newer techniques.” says Per Reinkilde (second from left above), 

manager of product development at Saga Design Centre. “There is 

another element of these seminars that is equally important in light 

of the status of fur. The sessions give us an opportunity to inform the 

teachers about Saga Furs’ dedication to corporate social responsibility 

(CSR). The teachers, their students and the public in general want 

peace of mind when it comes to fur. Our extensive CSR programme 

gives them this assurance.”

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With business interests spanning Hong Kong, 

Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen, 

time in Steve Leung’s schedule is as 

precious as the furs he recently began incorporating 

with such élan in his work. “My real inspiration for entering 

the field was an uncle who was an architect,” he 

says. “I was so determined to follow in his footsteps, I 

applied for an architectural course at college without 

even bothering to put down a second choice. Even 

now, I love to relax by playing around with wood and 

making things.” 

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This February in Shanghai, Steve and his team unveiled 

a pioneering collection of furnishings featuring fur as a 

key element. “As a designer, I’ve always kept my eyes 

open to the world around me. Movies, lifestyle trends, 

fashion, furniture, if we look hard enough, inspiration is 

there just waiting to be discovered,” he says, about his 

decision to use fur. 

Warming to his theme, Steve added: “Over the past 

20 years, I’ve been a regular visitor to the Milan Furniture 

Fair. While there, I’ve always been greatly admiring 

of - and very curious about - the way European designers 

use fur in their work. When Saga Furs approached 

me about incorporating fur as the cornerstone of my 

most recent collection, I said ‘Yes!’ almost immediately. 

My only possible reason for refusing would have been 

cruelty to animals. Happily, Saga Furs’ breeder sources 

are so stringently regulated, there is absolutely no 

chance of this ever happening. To be the only designer 

in the world asked to create a collection for Saga Furs 

was not just a great honour for me as a designer but also 

as a Chinese national,” said Steve. 

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It was after a visit to Saga Design Centre that the thoughts 

behind Steve’s new collection began to take concrete 

form. “Denmark was a real eye opener for me,” says 

Steve. “I never realized just how many extraordinarily 

creative design possibilities fur opened up.” 

Steve’s debut collection in Shanghai largely featured 

Saga Furs Blue Fox, a highly versatile material that 

adapts well to furnishing but now that he has gained 

first-hand experience in what can and cannot be done 

with fur, he expects to be using other types of fur and 

mentions Silver Fox as a possibility. 

When asked about working with fur, Steve comments: 

“Aside from the sheer luxuriance of the material, 

the thing I most love about fur is, that as design 

materials go, it’s pretty much a blank sheet of paper 

just waiting to be filled. The only real minus is the ex-

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pense. Ultimately, you have to use fur carefully, logically, 

wisely and reasonably so you don’t mess up. I 

think ‘reasonable’ is the key word here. After all, a little 

fur wisely used goes a long, long way to making a big 

impression.” 

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Steve believes that the end of the day, there’s no point 

in using an expensive material for the sake of using an 

expensive material. Ultimately, the materials a designer 

chooses and uses must enrich the lives of end users 

by giving them something new and unique. Fur easily 

achieves each of these important goals. 

Steve and his team’s debut fur furnishings show in 

Shanghai was an aesthetic and critical triumph. “It 

was incredible,” notes Steve. “People were asking me 

about buying some of the pieces on display right there 

and then. Unfortunately, as the collection is still in the 

concept stage, I was unable to oblige them. That said, 

we’re currently investigating day-to-day practicalities 

like manufacturing, distribution and pricing, so watch 

this space. When my fur furnishing collection finally 

becomes commercially available, I’m sure people will 

love it,” Steve concludes, before heading off to the next 

meeting in his hectic schedule. 

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Karita Mattila gave a series of jazz concerts at 

Tampere Hall in Finland back in the summer of 

2007. The most memorable scene was when the 

world-famous Finnish opera singer ascended a staircase 

clad in a glittering black gown and a lavish, extra-long 

white coat made of Saga Furs ® Blue Shadow fox. 

Finnish designer Markku Piri was in charge of 

costume and set design of the concerts that featured 

the great classics of jazz from the ‘30s and ‘40s, 

including names such as Cole Porter and George 

Gershwin. The entire scene was inspired by blackand-white 

movies; the whole set and costumes 

were accordingly black, white or silver. 

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Stage costumes are often a clever illusion, offering 

the appearance of luxury as seen from an 

audience perspective. A closer look reveals how 

more economical materials are used. Piri did not 

want to follow this practice. 

“The coat is made of real furs, everything is real. 

A singer of Karita Mattila’s calibre is such a charismatic 

star that I could not imagine her in faux 

fur,” he says. “It was this feel of 1930s Hollywood 

and the great jazz clubs of New York that I wanted to 

convey--something reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich, 

an icon famous for her concert act in sumptuous furs 

and incredible jewelry. So, nothing less than the finest 

furs and genuine jewelry for Ms. Mattila either.” 

The designer had no intention of discarding the fur 

coat after the four concerts. “I designed the coat with a 

train that comes off. It’s fastened to the coat with buttons. If 

Ms. Mattila wears high heels, she can wear the coat offstage, 

too. I designed a horizontal line of black on the junction so it 

does not show. Even when the train comes off, a hint of black 

lingers on the coat.” 

Mattila was very pleased with the coat, and thanked Piri for “making 

her so beautiful.” The garment and the personality of the diva were 

truly a perfect match. 

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In the ‘80s, Piri worked for Gemmi Furs (formerly known as Grünstein) where he 

coordinated the colours for dyed furs. Piri reunited with Gemmi a year before the 

concerts. “I chose Gemmi as I had collaborated with them earlier and knew they were the 

best there is.” 

Piri met with Gemmi designers Kisu Aho and Reijo Ojala four times in the process of crafting the 

costume. Piri created the look, and Gemmi fur designers found a way to realize his artistic vision using 

an ingenious technique: perpendicular strips of white Saga Furs ® Blue Shadow Fox were fastened onto creamcolored 

organza and decorated with horizontal stripes of Blue Shadow Fox dyed black. Piri notes how, “the material falls 

nicely or spreads wide, depending on what is needed.” 

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Finnish Fur Sales has reintroduced the Saga Furs 

Top Lot programme to highlight the very best 

skins sold through the auction house. The programme 

puts the Saga Furs label into an even brighter 

spotlight. 

“Top lots have been sold before, but previous concept 

meant top-price paid and the buyer received a certificate. 

Now the whole thing has been turned upside 

down so the sale of skins is not the end point, but rather 

the starting point of a relationship,” says Finnish Fur 

Sales marketing director Pertti Fallenius. 

Maria Grazia, general manager of the Italian fur 

company Mazzi Overwear, says they like to buy the 

best possible skins. “With our recent Saga Top Lot purchase 

of Saga Furs ® Royal Silver Fox we have created 

two exciting garments that will be promoted by Tatiana 

Navka who has won Olympic gold twice in figure 

skating. She will be the star of our collection, “ says 

Grazia. 

Mazzi Overwear was founded in 1956 and is now 

led in second generation by Maria Grazia and her sister 

Barbara Mazzi who designs their collections. According 

to Grazia, their sportswear collection is based on a 

high quality and hi-tech fabric mix featuring prestigious 

fur trims. 

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The Moscow fashion house Exclusive-M bought a Saga 

Furs ® Golden Island Fox top lot in the March-April 

2008 auction. Mr. Artem Kheachazturov, the owner of 

the fashion house, reveals that the skins will be used 

for a custom-made jacket. The distinguished customer 

wanted to have the best foxes for her garment. 

Exclusive-M wants to lead the way in creating fur 

fashion in Russia. To this end the company has its own 

fur salon and production facilities in Moscow. Its products 

are also sold in Moscow’s exclusive fur boutiques. 

“Two of our designers have visited the Saga Design 

Centre in Denmark and they have already used their 

newly-learned techniques in the 2008-09 collection,” 

says Kheachazturov. 

The buyer of Saga Furs ® Royal White Mink Top Lot, 

Jerry Sorbara Furs Inc. of New York, is going to use the 

skins to create something unique. Sorbara does wholesale, 

exclusively to Nieman Marcus, and has its own 

showroom for retail. 

“We have never before purchased a top bundle from 

an overseas auction, so I suppose it will open eyes in 

other markets, like Europe. Europeans are generally 

the ones to buy top lots, so you could say we are showing 

a presence by buying it,” says company president 

Sal Sorbara. 

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FFS has packaged the Saga Furs Top Lot programme 

so attractively that fashion houses all over the world

have shown interest in the concept. Now the companies 

involved with top lots get a chance to cooperate 

with Saga Furs in research and development. 

“Before this, the top lots used to comprise only one 

or two mink lots in a year. Now we have both mink and 

fox tops lots at every at auction,” says Fallenius. 

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According to Fallenius, international fur and textile industries 

have given a good reception to the Saga Furs 

Top Lot programme. The buyers of the best skins also 

get the opportunity to join the Saga Furs design team at 

Saga Design Centre near Copenhagen. The buyers can 

also use Saga Furs Top Lot labels in fur garments that 

have been made of top lots. 

Sergey Kussenkov, owner of Kussenkovv Fashion 

House in St. Petersburg says that the company actively 

uses Saga Furs techniques in their collections. Kussenkovv 

is one of the big names in fur hats in Russia, but 

the also manufacture fur accessories, trims, scarves and 

bags. 

“By purchasing the Saga Furs ® Blue Fox top lot we 

want to show our customers that we are using the utmost 

in top quality goods,” says Mr. Kussenkov. 

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Young designers have found their own expression, 

they are not tethered to rules of 

the past dictating what fur design should 

be. In Saga Furs ® Blue Fox, designers have found 

a material that lets their imaginations run wild-and 

to stunning effect. 

A shorthaired fur, Blue Fox lets the designer 

play with proportions, volume, colours and much 

more. When combined with longhaired fur like 

Saga Furs ® Silver Fox, the results are magic. 

Blue Fox provides designers a delightful medium 

for innovation when they choose to break 

away from the norms and head in totally new 

creative directions. The rising stars of today have 

already recognized the sheer power of Blue Fox 

and you will be seeing lots more of it on runways 

of the future. 

The popularity of Saga Furs ® Blue Fox is a result 

of Saga Furs’ cooporation with designers and 

design schools around the world. 

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C R A F T E D F O R I N D I V I D U A L S 

For a dealer near you, please visit our website www.spykerworld.com 

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Spyker C8 Spyder: A fashion accessory which may require a larger wardrobe...

by Sean John - Online Saga Magazine - Saga Furs

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