O u t o f th e B LU E...F OX
By FutureFOXstudio
Out of the B LU E. . . F OX Pia Blomström (Ed.) Photography and layout: Kasper Gustavsson Creative assistants: Basil Kardasis and Giovanni Amandini
BLUE FOX – Our fur for all seasons
Out of the BLUE...FOX Centria. Puheenvuoroja. 7. ISSN 2342-9356 ISBN 978-952-6602-93-6 (printed) ISBN 978-952-6602-94-3 (pdf ) Graphic design by Kasper Gustavsson Proofreading: Pernilla Holmgård Kokkola 2015 Model: Anna Haglund/Model agency Matine
Runeberginkatu 8 68600 Pietarsaari FINLAND www.centria.fi www.centria.fi/futurefoxstudio pia.blomstrom@centria.fi +358 (0)50 3368746
FutureFOXstudio project
Blue fox - the rarity of nature
Innovative and purposeful research and development is necessary within the fur industry. The FutureFOXstudio project carried out by Centria UAS consists of two parts which support each other; testing and developing a popup concept for the fur studio, as well as researching and developing with a focus on blue fox. The material used within the project is mainly Finnish blue fox, and the primary target groups are foreign producers of leather and hide products, as well as designers and key persons from related industries. This will be accomplished with the help of Pop-up Fur Studio workshops, seminars, and company visits. In the international Pop-up Fur Studio, we demonstrate the ver-
The blue fox is the most important fur animal raised in Finland. It comes in two colors: the traditional grey and white, which is also called shadow fox. Of all fox skins, the blue fox is the most suitable and flexible material for the garment industry. Thanks to the thick under wool and high-quality guard hair it is easily worked and colored. The uniformly thick blue fox skin can be used in many ways. For in-
satility of the blue fox for both representatives of different industries and for students. After the first demonstration, research and development can continue in cooperation with selected partners. Blue fox is the most important fur in the history of Finnish farming. It is desirable because it has the qualities of its original coat. This is why the blue fox wears it. We at Centria University of Applied Sciences have worked with the material over the years, discovering its rarities. In fact, we have become specialists when it comes to this product. It has a natural beauty which is incomparable. It never fails to surprise us. The concept of the Pop-up Fur Studio is to unite and amalgamate the brightest shining stars in the
sky. Industry, skills, creativity, and universities in all fields and disciplines are to link, and like a precious gold chain they will serve to hold a segment of our society together. The purpose of the Pop-up Fur Studio is to create awareness and unity between industry, creativity, skills, and above all to instigate an educational flow between all these sectors. This “look-book” on the blue fox will allow one to be both stimulated and informed of all the unique and exceptional qualities of one of the rarest natural products. Pia Blomström Project Manager Centria University of Applied Sciences www.centria.fi/futurefoxstudio
stance, as a fur lining, as a trim on the edge of a hood, and for handsome collars. It is practical and warm. Its light tone makes it very suitable for coloring, and it has also become more common to use the skin sheared. Blue fox farming started in Finland at the turn of the 1960’s. The first animals were introduced from Norway. The blue fox is the pinnacle of fox breeding. Nowhere else in the world can you find a level of quality equivalent to that in Finland.
In Finland, about 1.5 million blue fox skins are produced every year, approximately 75% of the world’s fox production. In the 2010’s, the value of blue fox production has been over 200 million euros per year. Most of the blue fox skins are sold at Saga Furs’ auctions, which are arranged four times a year. More information: www.profur.fi |4
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Centria University of Applied Sciences, Fur Design and Marketing
Fur in Home Decoration Project WUNDERKAMMER Fur in Home Decoration, a module held by Giovanni Amandini, Italian Fashion designer living in Germany, and Lis-Mari Jansson, experienced fur teacher, took place at Centria UAS. The module has given the first year students a comprehensive overview of the design process. A theoretical introduction lead students to the designer’s world. The group was made aware and learned about many different facets of product design. The research process, idea development, the power of colour. Theoretical knowledge of the sub-
Projects as a method of learning Projects together with companies, like dressing companies, material suppliers, and particularly Finnish fur farmers, allow the students to use the best possible materials and to develop new products. Design projects combine theoretical knowledge and practical skills and provide the students with useful contacts for their future working life. www.centria.fi
Photo: Sirpa Luoma
Centria University of Applied Sciences in Finland is the only University of Applied Sciences specialized in fur design and marketing. Centria is situated in the Ostrobothnia region, which is known worldwide for its fur production. In the autumn of 2014 Centria University of Applied Sciences introduced a new international education at the university level with a specialization in fur. The studies include both fur design and busi7| ness, which gives a good basis for functioning in a global fur market. Students may decide to follow a business orientated programme or choose to specialize in fur design & marketing.
ject & material enabled one’s own product development. The task was to develop a home decoration product featuring the Finnish blue fox as a main material. This was made possible by the generous sponsorship of regional fur farmers and a dressing company. The students were free to design their own products, and were encouraged to work creatively and individually. From the start, students came up with a wide variety of interior decoration products. Some combined fur with traditional or soft materials such
as fabric or leather; others introduced more unusual combinations such as metal- or woodwork. Fur in Home Decoration was a very inspiring, interesting and informative module, which allowed students to use their creativity and individuality in designing and producing their own product. The result is a collection of blue fox home decoration items that may be exhibited as a whole in Wunderkammer, a “room of wonders”. Olga Plank /on behalf of the team BBA fur design and marketing students
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Kinga Kocsis Kinga’s passion is creating new designs, making patterns, and above all, working with fur. She is from Hungary and is inspired by languages, which encourages her to travel. She has graduated from the Tourism Programme at Centria UAS.
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Kinga’s idea of chaos and her need to create a space where it can be organized and stored away is clearly translated in the product she has created. Chaos spreads colourfully across the surface; it is then structured into a pattern and seems to disappear towards the inside of her secret storage.
Organized chaos Sponsors: Juha Herrala, Modifur, Ahlskog Tannery, Fixafell Wood and metalwork: Janina Tisza and Karl Ehnvall
Nikos Mpatsis Nikos was born in Tranås, a small fur town in southern Sweden. At the age of five, Nikos moved with his family to Kastoria, the principal city of fur production in Greece. He grew up in his father’s own fur company, making fur plates and a variety of fur products. Nikos’ aim and desire is to start up his own fur company.
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Nikos’s love for fur lead him to create a product that expresses his feeling for this beautiful material. His creation is a clear invitation to comfort and relaxation, an ideal condition in which you can appreciate the things you most love. His choice of colours (black leather and fire orange) reflects elements of passion.
Hammock Sponsors: Daniel Blomqvist, Modifur, Kokkolan Nahka Oy, Fixafell, Karl Ehnvall
Hanna Nurmi Hanna comes from a diverse professional background. Based in Helsinki, her wide-ranging interests include brutalist architecture, high-end sportswear and the practice of artisanal production within a modern context. Her designs emphasize a strong understanding of materials and the expertise of experienced craftspeople. In her own practice, she espouses high quality materials and timeless aesthetics.
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Hanna’s creation, NEST, is a collection of storage baskets. By using various weaving techniques and material combinations, she has achieved a variety of textures that resemble and remind us of natural phenomena. Heavyweight leather shapes the outside, giving the nest structure and firmness, soft sheared blue fox fur on the inside welcomes anything you might want to keep comfortable inside.
Nest Sponsors: LE Fox Ab, Modifur, Kokkolan Nahka, Oy Pasion Ltd Woodwork: Karl Ehnvall
Elizabeth Palm Elizabeth has graduated as a tailor and is based in Tallinn. Her experience from working within different companies has taught her how to utilize a broad variety of materials including fur. Presenting fur as a modern, multifunctional “material” in combination with industrial metals and cement, it was her challenge to re-design the oldest material used for walls.
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Elisabeth has been inspired by industrial sights, where interesting surfaces and structures reign. This world reaches out to her creation, delivering raw materials and “reflections” of rust (dyeing technique) which, combined with the precious blue fox, deliver interesting products for home decoration.
Reflection Sponsors: Jari Isosaari, Modifur Kokkolan Nahka Oy, Oy Pasion Ltd, Karl Ehnvall
Olga Plank Olga comes from an Austrian family which has operated a fur atelier and shop in Vienna since 1901. Learning about traditional fur craft has enabled Olga to use the material in a modern way and promote its benefits. As a traveller, she has been inspired to create her first lightweight fur travel blanket.
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Walking in the wild – and all of a sudden I find it: A wonderful shell! And within‌ beautiful blue fox fur to keep me warm. Golden ornaments to cover and protect my private space. Wherever I go I have the comfort of a living room with me, my shell, my Shell[ter].
Shell[ter] Sponsors: Jorma Eilonen, Modifur
Amanda Plogman Amanda lives in a small village in Finland. She is a dressmaker inspired by fashion, art, vintage clothes and music. Her dream is to be a designer and to have her own atelier, having been inspired by her grandmother who for 40 years owned a leather glove atelier.
Let me take you away...
To a cold, dark place...
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Billions of miles from home...
In the middle of nowhere...
A place where the brightest stars shine...
And the most glorious colors rule...
This is outer space...
Welcome to Nova Space .
Nova Space Sponsors: Christoffer Eriksson, Modifur
Ann-Sofi Sandell-Wikar As a creative person and having worked in craft education Ann-Sofi is happy to rediscover the magic of fur and to combine her old skills with new ones. Similarly, she wishes to use fur as a material and naturally combine it with other materials. Her love for precision enables her to work with geometric curves, straight lines and to combine colours in unusual ways. Having taught adults to make patchwork, quilting and being inspired by nature and her elements, she creates her own personal products with enthusiasm. Her product can be used in two ways – as a cosy pillow or an inviting blanket.
A moment for thoughts and relaxation
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The wind was blowing outside, a fire was burning in the fireplace. A seagull flew over the sea, landed on the rocks, the water made patterns of waves in the sand, just like life in general does. A warm blanket with stripes of fur was wrapped around the body and the feeling was relaxed, warm, and cosy. A perfect moment for thoughts… Enjoying life at its best…
The Waves Sponsors: Knutars Pälsfarm Ab, Modifur, Ahlskog Tannery
Marina Shafikova Marina is originally from Chelyabinsk, a remote part of Russia, where she for ten years worked in her family’s steel industry. In 2014, her dreams came true when she was accepted to study fur design. Her own dream is to be a professional in the field of fur fashion, making patterns, garments, and drawing. She loves both the Finnish nature and architecture.
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Marina’s rug is so cosy that a fox seems to have found its ideal place to sleep. Inspired by the woods and childhood tales, Marina has set out to create a collection in which these friendly characters are featured. But now hush, let us leave this very busy and shy animal to its welldeserved rest.
Foxes Sleep Too Sponsors: Turkisrinne Oy, Modifur, Ahlskog Tannery, Fixafell
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Wunderkammer “Wunderkammer is the culmination of the research and practice work for the ‘Fur in Home Decoration’ session by the first year students of Centria UAS. It shows the result of the students’ personal journey within this design area and their understanding of the application of this wonderful, natural material.
Giovanni Amandini Mentoring Designer
Acknowledgements The tutors: Giovanni Amandini and Lis-Mari Jansson The BBA/ fur design students: Kinga Kocsis, Nikos Mpatsis, Hanna Nurmi, Elizabeth Palm, Olga Plank, Amanda Plogman, Ann-Sofi Sandell-Wikar and Marina Shafikova Wood and metalwork: Janina Tisza and Karl Ehnvall Fur farmers: Daniel Blomqvist, Jorma Eilonen, Christoffer Eriksson, Juha Herrala, Jari Isosaari, Knutars Pälsfarm Ab, LE Fox Ab and Turkisrinne Oy Other supporters: Ahlskog Tannery, Fixafell Oy ,Kokkolan Nahka Oy, Manifattura Italiana Del Brembo, Modifur and Oy Pasion Ltd
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Wunderkammer is not only a space that provides the display of these single objects, but it is also a comfortable retreat for contemplating and reflecting on the investigative curiosity, the structured process and the skilful hands that made the journey toward these items possible.”
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When is a BLUE FOX not a BLUE FOX? Blue Fox is a clever animal that tricks the eye. He tries to tell you he is one tone, and yet you know that he can be whatever tone or colour that YOU want...
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The densest, richest, warmest, safest, most beautiful fur of all… Like a magician, he allows the light to change his hue. One moment he is light grey, the next he is dusty mauve, and the next a hazy, midnight cloud of blue. We will allow him to be what he says HE is. A Blue Fox! In our methods and clever ways we will change him into a ‘Pearl in our Oyster’ And he can be whatever colour WE wish. Let us fill the oyster with Blue Fox Pearls. Our brilliant creators will sprinkle their talent to the scene and bring into another life with their creations, a smiling ‘trickster’… The Blue Fox - Basil Kardasis Professor. Royal College of Art, London
ISSN 2342-9356 ISBN 978-952-6602-93-6 (printed) ISBN 978-952-6602-94-3 (pdf )