NAFFEM 2002 - BAROMETER TO A BOOMING INDUSTRY

NAFFEM, the largest fashion industry event in Canada and one of the biggest luxury outerwear shows in the world celebrated twenty years of connecting fur industry professionals with its 2002 edition. From April 28th to May 1st at Place Bonaventure in Montreal, over 5000 international buyers were treated to the new wares of over 200 exhibitors offering classic quality garments infused with the latest treatments and cutting-edge Canadian design.

With over 80% of Canadian fur and pelt exports going to the United States, U.S. buyer presence is consistently heavy and this year was no exception. Howard Klaff of Klaff Furs in Boston hasn't missed a NAFFEM since its inception. "There is nowhere else where you can get the full scope of fur collections. Over the years, designers have grown more secure in what they're doing. The show production keeps getter better, more innovative." Strong contingents of buyers from Russia, Japan, Italy and Greece also flocked to this year's NAFFEM.

The Montreal North American Fur and Fashion Exposition is indeed the barometer to a booming growth industry. The numbers are impressive. The fur trade contributes $800 million annually to the Canadian economy and employs over 85,000 Canadians. According to data released by the FCC (Fur Council of Canada), the past two years of business has seen fur exports increase by 33%. A recent survey conducted by NFO C.F. Group reveals that one in five Canadian women now own a fur coat, and that ratio balloons to one in three in Quebec. The skyrocketing demand for Canadian fur leads to $100 million of orders written during NAFFEM's frenzied four days of runway shows, trend seminars and espresso-bar schmoozing.

Shearling exhibitor Domenic Bellissimo, participating in NAFFEM for his third year, notices the industry changes that keep the fur trade current. "There is a growing demand for light-weight garments, trendier styles. The younger crowd needs fur as fashion pieces rather than simply to keep warm." That youthful urban edge is being masterfully marketed by FurWorks Canada, an FCC initiative to promote sportswear in fur and to make fur accessible to a wider demographic. "The wide range of fur types now available in Canada allows us to offer price points better geared to a wider distribution," says Alan Herscovici, Executive Vice-President of the FCC. "Trendy styles and affordable furs are the key to market expansion and that's our main objective this year." The Design Network, featured at the Naffem Gala as well as at Canada's Fashion Weeks is another successful initiative to resurrect fur, this time with the innovative techniques and stylish savoir-faire of Canada's hottest prêt-à-porter designers.

If NAFFEM 2002 succeeded in putting forth a message, it is that the old and the new share more common ground than previously thought. Canadian fur has already established itself on the international stage. For the industry to reach its full potential in the 21st century, it needs to continue incorporating the fashion-forward design and marketing thinking that is building Canada's global fashion profile.

RELATED STORY: NAFFEM 2002 GALA

Daniel Cox
Fashion Editor
Marek Wlazlo
Photographer
Minimidimaxi LTD. - The Canadian Fashion Stage

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