Sustainable Fur

Feb 25 2019 - The 2017 Fur Summer School student Berivan Cemal won the most prestigious REMIX award for young fashion and fur design. The creative interpretation of this year’s theme Responsibility granted Berivan the support of the jury chaired by the Deputy Director of Vogue Italy and Head of Vogue Talents Sara Maino at the award ceremony in Milan last night. "Remix is an opportunity for the next generation of designers to experiment with and at the same time to pay attention to sustainability and work for a better future,’’ said Sara Sozzani Maino. The 27-year-old designer from the Netherlands started working with fur a few years ago after collaborating with FurLab Amsterdam. Later Berivan then took part in Fur Europe’s Summer School to study the supply chain and explore how fur fits with slow fashion and sustainability. ‘’My Remix collection is an investigation into my own immigrant background and the deep personal responsibility I feel to translate my heritage for generations to come through my designs and use of fur,’ said Berivan while describing the idea behind her mink blankets and avant-garde garments. The added that for her responsibility in fashion is mainly linked to sustainable production and minimising environmental impact. ‘’Beyond the fact, the mink is treated very well in Holland, mink is one of the few animals which are used in many industries, not only fashion – bones and oils are used to the fullest helping create bioenergy and beauty products, which also means waste is minimised. Besides using the seal and mink, I am also incorporating recycled wool and plastic as a symbol to preserve fashion and reject plastic fast fashion.'' Besides the recognition as a world-class young designer, Berivan gets a weeklong stay at Kopenhagen Furs design studio where she gets a new challenge – to turn 25 premium quality Kopenhagen Fur Mink skins into the most innovative fur design possible. The Silver REMIX award went to Huseyin Ozer, from Turkey, for creations were inspired by the stained-glass window of the Hagia Sophia. Dong Wang from China won the Saga Furs award ensuring him one week of fur innovation workshop in Saga Furs Design Centre. ‘’We have a new socially and environmentally aware generation that is currently crafting the future, and we are very proud to have young designers from over 23 countries this year applying to take part in REMIX eager to demonstrate how natural fur can be responsible,’’ said Mark Oaten, CEO of IFF. This was the 16th edition of the international competition which the International Fur Federation (IFF) organises with the support of Vogue Talents. Alongside the Deputy Director of Vogue Italy and Head of Vogue Talents Sara Maino Sozzani, the jury gathered together Gabriele Colangelo, Creative Director of Giada, the Danish designer Astrid Andersen, the fashion blogger Bryanboy and the Sustainability expert Samantha De Reviziis. All the winners of REMIX 2019 will see their creations at the centre of in IFF’s upcoming fashion advertising campaign FUR NOW later this year.

Feb 08 2019 - The finale of REMIX 2019 – a contest dedicated to young international designers, hosted by the International Fur Federation (IFF) and supported by Vogue Talents – the platform dedicated to the search, selection and visibility of talents, returns to Milan. An exceptional jury including, Sara Sozzani Maino, Gabriele Colangelo, Astrid Andersen, Bryanboy, and Samantha De Reviziis will declare the winners on the evening scheduled for February 24th. The sixteenth edition of REMIX returns to Milan during AW 19 Fashion Week. The theme for the international competition is Responsibility, a theme which all participants will have to display through their own interpretation, through their creations. Since its inauguration in 2004, intended to support young designers all over the world, REMIX has given opportunities to thousands of students to become part of the teams of the most important fashion houses: from Astrid Andersen, who showcases her collections during London Fashion Week, and Nicolas Martin Garcia, who is part of the design team of Roberto Cavalli; to Roderick Buijs, enlisted by Louis Vuitton, Thom Barends, a product designer for Haider Ackermann, and Sally Bohan, a senior design at Patagonia. After a long selection phase, which began in September 2018, 10 finalists were chosen from scores of applicants from 23 countries. These ten finalists will compete in the final on the evening of February 24th in Milan. The ten finalists, from all over the world, are: Long Chen - Asia REMIX winner Yuliya Yuknovich - Eurasia REMIX winner Alessia Rose Legault - Canada Dong Wang - China Elina Aarela - Finland Christelle Tran-Thiet - France Saskia Reggel - Germany Berivan Cemal - Netherlands Huseyin Ozer - Turkey Sirapop Dechraksa - USA An exceptional jury chaired by Sara Sozzani Maino will crown the winners of the 2019 edition, who will then see their creations at the centre of IFF’s annual fashion advertising campaign: FUR NOW, which will be distributed worldwide in both print and digital, as well as on their social platforms and official website. This year, whoever comes out on top will be awarded the REMIX Gold prize, sponsored by Kopenhagen Furs, where they will receive 25 premium quality Kopenhagen Fur Mink skins to create with, as well as a paid trip to Copenhagen for a weeklong stay at their design studio. During this one-week trip, the winner will have the opportunity to interact with expert craftsmen and explore the newest and most advanced fur processing techniques. REMIX Silver prize winner, sponsored by North American Fur Auctions (NAFA), will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Studio NAFA 2019 at NAFA’s headquarters in Toronto, Canada. Studio NAFA was created to innovate and cultivate expertise in the fur industry. The winner of this prize will learn and practice working with fur through an advanced curriculum taught by master furriers. This intensive training equips the current and next generation of fur designers with technical knowledge, skills and passion for the craft. The final award of the night will be awarded by Saga Furs. The winner of the Saga Award will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Saga Furs Design Centre for a one-week technical training course. Here they will attend a fur innovation workshop gaining access to Saga Furs 3,000 plus craft techniques archive. Mark Oaten, CEO of IFF states: "We are very proud to be representing one of the most sustainable and natural materials in the fashion industry and we keep encouraging young talent to get involved. The level of young designers that we see over the years at REMIX amazes me every time. Comparing creative minds around the world and showing their skills and abilities are key to maintaining this innovative, vital and modern industry. REMIX continues and will continue to push the boundaries of our industry, helping to change the perception of fur". "The new generation is our future. Never before in our history has it been so essential to look at sustainability and start thinking about producing in a sustainable way. Remix gives designers the opportunity to enhance the concept of sustainability by creating ad hoc projects," says Sara Sozzani Maino, Deputy Editor in Chief Vogue Italy and Head of Vogue Talents.