FuR techniques by kopenhagen Studio 2013•2014
People have been using fur since ancient times. Through the ages, it has been used by both rich and poor as a natural form of clothing and as decoration on hats, bags, jewellery, furniture and interiors.
This year’s techniques from Kopenhagen Studio have been developed with an eye for making the fur more useful and practical for everyday use. Combining the fur with other materials, such as lace or leather, creates another feel and texture to the fabric and naturally evokes new ways of using fur in garments, accessories and interiors.
Several of the new techniques have a rougher and more masculine look and feel, and are thus well suited for men’s fashion.
All the techniques were developed with a strong focus on craftsmanship and detail. The range of colours chosen comprises shades of brown, green and grey.
This technique is very feminine and gives a light, cuddly and elegant feel to the fabric. The mink skin is cut on a string machine and afterwards stiched onto the fabric in between the pieces of lace. The technique is good for feminine styles and can be used for both smaller parts and the whole design.
Furry Lace
1. Stretch the skin and make it ready for the cutting machine
2. Cut out the fur in 5 mm stripes
3. The ends are cut open with a sharp knife
4. Stitch the stripes onto the fabric app. 3 mm from the edge
5. Continue the process until the preferred fabric length is acquired
6. Detail of the finished technique
This technique is rough and chunky and uses mink with glued bonded suede on the leather side. The attachments are strips flipped from side to side on a calf skin. The contrast between mink, suede and calfskin gives the appearance of twisted twine. The effect of the technique is quite heavy and masculine and thus suits menswear especially well.
twisted twine
1. Mark lines on the back of the skin 1 cm wide
2. Cut the stripes
3. Mark the calf skin where to attach the mink stripes
4. Ready to start attaching stripes on leather
5. Stitch the stripes on the leather by using a regular sewing-maschine
6. Cut the edges according to the pattern
7. Detail of the finished technique
This technique is made by cutting half-moon shapes into a variation of skins, varying in size from small to large. The technique gives the skin a chunky and fuller form and is great for styles where you want to add volume. Fox, raccoon and mink skins have been used to give extra volume variability throughout the technique.
half-moon cuts
1. Make a pattern of where to place ‘extra’ fur. The small cuts of half-moons is also used for this technique
2. Transfer the pattern onto the back of the skin. Mark respectively where to cut and stitch
3. Cut up three of the four sides
4. Pull out the half-cut fur pieces to the front
5. Place a piece of fur with longer hair on the back and stitch it on to close the gap
6. Trim the seam of the shaved and fuller fur with a pair of scissors
This technique is experimental and playful. The dense embroidery with open circles of fur gives a unique and modern look. This technique is perfect for decorating garments, pillows and other fuller surfaces. It is suitable for both menswear and womenswear.
circular embroidery
1. Mark out the pattern on the back of the skin
2. Stitch around all the circles
3. With a zig zag stitch, stitch all of the area in between the circles
4. The finished technique on the back of the skin
5. Front and back of the finished technique
6. Detail of the finished technique
With this technique you can add volume and structure to the skin. A mink skin is cut into strings 2 cm wide and sewn together as tubes. The tubes are stiched onto another mink skin in zig zag lines. This is used to add volume to a design at very specific places. The technique is useful for both feminine and masculine styles.
voluminous strings
1. Mark lines on the leather side, 2 cm for the tubes (one skin)
2. Mark zig zag line on the leather side (another skin)
3. Cut out the tubes
4. Fold the tubes down the middle
5. Stitch the tubes
6. Cut open the zig zag lines
7. Stitch the tubes in the zig zag cut
8. Step by step picture
In 2005, Kopenhagen Fur established the creative workshop Kopenhagen Studio. The Studio is part of KiCK – Kopenhagen Internationale Center for Kreativitet – and is situated in central Copenhagen. At Kopenhagen Studio, furriers, designers and students have an opportunity to explore and develop ideas and techniques for using fur. Kopenhagen Studio was founded with the objective of providing better support for fur design and innovation within fur use. To this end, some of the world’s most prestigious and established designers, representatives from other creative industries and up-and-coming talents are invited to work with Kopenhagen Studio’s skilled in-house furriers. Through these collaborations, designers get better insights into fur and find new, creative ways of using this exciting material. To further support innovation, Kopenhagen Studio also cooperates with the world’s leading design schools in training young designers and showing them the many exciting possibilities of fur. These collaborations challenge the traditional perceptions of what can be made out of fur. The development of new techniques means that fur is now found in haute couture, prêt-à-porter and street fashion. In addition to Kopenhagen Studio in Copenhagen, there is also a Kopenhagen Studio in Beijing. Since the beginning both Studios have had remarkable results. Students from Tsinghua Kopenhagen Fur Studio have won an impressive number of design prizes, while the results of Kopenhagen Studio’s design collaborations can be seen at the international fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris.
www.kopenhagenfur.com