Life

German designer heads fur fashion

By Alexandra Leyton Espinoza (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-02 07:59

Fashion designer David Ubl sits beside a model wearing a long fur gown. [Photo/China Daily]

Above: A model poses in a fur-lined purple dress. Below: This fur outfit resembles an office style, with a splash of scarlet underneath.

There is no doubt that the use of animal fur as a clothing material is controversial, but in today's fashion scene in China, artistic freedom and market demand continue to accept it. David Ubl, a German fashion designer who specializes in fur products, works for an industry he believes is growing in China as a result of a relaxed cultural perspective and a boatload of new money.

Ubl, 27, moved to Beijing two years ago after he won the Gold Hempel award for young designers at China's International Fashion Week.

His first year in the capital was spent working as a creative director for Hempel, one of the biggest textile producers in China, until he was offered the role of chief designer for Beijing Sunry Longtai Fur Manufacturing Co Ltd, one of China's largest fur fashion houses.

Ubl said he designs mainly for European clients. They fly into Beijing to purchase fur garments and techniques.

"They rarely tell me who the client is," said Ubl. "I might be looking at the Milan catwalk when I see my garments or fur coats. This makes me happy."

Ubl is also working on a fur haute couture collection to be presented at the Fur Fair China 2011 in Beijing in January.

"I had never worked with fur when I first came to Beijing," he said.

"But I still said 'yes' when Sunry Longtai offered me the chance to design a collection for the fur fair last year.

"Visitors loved it and since then, I have been trying to develop new fur techniques and learn more about the industry."

Fur Fair China 2011, which will display fur and leather products, is expected to showcase the latest trends from around the world.

According to Ubl, China has plenty of wealthy consumers wanting to splash out on luxury goods, with fur being one of the sought-after items.

"Chinese people were once quite modest about their wealth, but that's changing now and they want to show it off. Wearing fur is one way to do this," he said.

Prices for Ubl's products are generally determined by which animal the fur comes from.

However, the expense is pushed up because Ubl's materials are imported from Sweden, Denmark and Canada. Due to the lower quality of domestic mink or fox, imported fur - quality-assured and certified - is the preferred choice.

Ubl said even though China's fur breeding industry is developing, factors like water, food and climate play important roles in producing good quality fur.

This means that companies that import minks from Sweden, to raise elsewhere, can often end up with sub-standard results. For a complete fashion line, equal quality throughout the pieces must be assured.

"When you design a coat collection, the fur must come from one country only," he said.

At Sunry Longtai, Ubl can work without restraint - not the case in some other countries, with animal activists hitting the headlines for sabotaging mink farms in Europe.

As with all countries, Ubl said there are some Chinese people who are more accepting about wearing fur.

Ubl also manages his own label, David UBL, a blend of luxury sports clothing with street wear for men and women. His winter collection will be on display at China's Fashion Week in March next year.

"I have been very lucky," he said. "With hard work, I have built my own brand and developed myself as a fur designer.

"Where else in the world can you see fashion develop faster than in Beijing. I love my job."