Beaver fur
One of the most popular types of fur, actively used by manufacturers to create luxury products. Buyers love it for its good fit, softness, density, fluffiness, which greatly contributes to the beautiful appearance of a fur coat or fur vest, regardless of the cut.
It is also worth noting its wear resistance: on average, a beaver fur coat can be worn without fear for up to 18 seasons, and you will not see scuffs, fading or other flaws on the fur.
Interview with Emil Shabaev
Interview with Emil Shabaev exclusively for Dessert Report and SELFLOVERS
On the eve of the January frosts, when the capital's fashionistas are in full preparation for the winter season, we talked with the owner of the atelier-boutique "Emil Shabaev", which completely specializes in the production of unique luxury fur products - Emil Shabaev, and found out what the secret of successful development of the fur business, how things are with the light industry in Russia and answered the main question - “What does a woman want?”
Emil, your fur studio was
opened in 2008, but just a few years later you took a leading position in the list of manufacturers of luxury fur clothing.
What's the secret? Emil Shabaev: In general, we have been on the market for 10 years, because even before 2008 I worked without my own production in an outsourcing mode. But after some time, I realized that working with people who are accustomed to a very high level of production, good quality and service, it is impossible to create a truly high-quality product by outsourcing. It was necessary to either set up our own production, or finally give up on this project. Then, even though the economy in our country was in crisis, we decided to open our own fur boutique. And I believe that one of the most important reasons for its success is that we treated this project as a business, and not as entertainment. Of course, the crisis has taken its toll: both in 2008 and now, some clients are cut off because the exchange rate difference dictates its terms. This trend is observed throughout the market as a whole. But the key to success is working correctly with the client. Our clients receive exactly the product they ordered, which fully meets their requirements. To interest a client, you need to constantly improve and do something new and interesting.
Where do you buy fur?
Emil Shabaev: Sable and marten - exclusively in Russia, mink and other furs - abroad, mainly in Denmark, Finland, and America. Of course, the prices are not encouraging, but you have to somehow adapt.
How are things going with the light industry in Russia?
Emil Shabaev: Currently, the entire infrastructure associated with light industry, unfortunately, is still in its infancy. But if we talk about fur production, then everything is not so bad. Despite the fact that fur is one of the most difficult materials to work with, we are not inferior in quality to foreign manufacturers. The problems mainly arise with style. If we talk about silhouettes, then everything has already been invented, so you need to work with finishing, with details and bring something new and interesting.
How does your fur brand differ from others on the Russian market, of which, by the way, there are many?
Emil Shabaev: I don’t follow what’s happening on the Russian market at all. Only Paris and Milan attract my attention. We are now paying all our attention to our own production: individual tailoring and production of ready-made collections, but for now we still give priority to bespoke service.
Where do ideas come from?
Emil Shabaev: There are two options for the development of events. The basic models are sable and marten fur coats, in which we use a classic cut. It's a perfect fit, attention to detail. And collectibles that should be in line with the spirit of the times or a little ahead of it. In the first case, we introduce some unusual element to make the models sound new; in the second, we look at what modern girls wear, what they like right now, and, having caught this wave, sensing their mood, we come up with something completely new, meaningful in its own way. It is important that the item looks much more expensive than it actually costs. This is a big problem for our market.
Do you make products only for women?
Emil Shabaev: That's right, we work exclusively with female models.
And how do you guess what a woman wants?
Emil Shabaev: Everything is quite simple: a beautiful, expensive, well-fitting fur coat.
Where in Moscow are your clothes presented?
Emil Shabaev: We have a mono-boutique - an atelier in Victory Park. We tried working with different retailers besides Bosco, Mercury and Podium, but of course it would be interesting to work with these companies. For four years we successfully collaborated with the Yakimanka children's gallery - it was a fruitful union. At the moment we are trying to develop our sales and work with the regions.
Is a department store with exclusively Russian designers a myth or reality?
Emil Shabaev: In general, I think it’s wrong to constantly separate Russian designers from foreign ones. If you go to any shopping center in Europe, you will never see a department store that exclusively sells brands from one country. But for some reason we have a tendency to separate ourselves from the world.
To become a fur designer, what is more important – ideas or money?
Emil Shabaev: These two factors intersect. This business is extremely capital-intensive, but if there are no ideas, but only a budget, then soon you will go to a loss.
Text: Natalya Goncharova
Photo: Stanislav Melnichenko
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Arctic fox fur
Arctic fox fur is known all over the world, although its history begins in Rus', the homeland of most elite furs. Despite the past centuries, modern “nobility” still prefers this type of fur.
There are two shades of fur found in nature:
- White. Almost the same boiling white as an ermine.
- Blue. It is much less common than the first type, which directly affects its cost. Blue fur gets its name from the hue of cloudy skies of varying degrees of saturation. Arctic foxes with a light blue color have thick guard hairs with a white color at the base and a bluish tint at the tip of the pile, which gives the effect of a bluish veil.
Thanks to the long hair of the Arctic fox, it is convenient for designers to work with fur, creating truly elite masterpieces, which the Queen of Britain herself does not disdain.
Mink fur
At least once in her life a woman dreamed of having a mink coat hanging in her closet. The fashion for mink fur was introduced by Hollywood stars back in the 30s of the 20th century. Since then, the situation has not changed at all - a sign of good taste and appropriate condition is the presence of at least one mink coat.
Mink fur is very practical to wear and retains its ideal appearance for many years. It is very difficult to list all the shades, because there are a great many of them: colors and undertones vary depending on the area of residence of this furry animal.
Photo: mink coat
Emil Shabaev
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The Emil Shabaev brand appeared in December 2009 along with the opening of an atelier-boutique, which specializes in the production of unique fur and leather products; in addition, the atelier carries out individual orders, taking into account all the client’s wishes. Every autumn-winter season a new collection is released, which leaves no one indifferent, be it an ordinary buyer or a true connoisseur of fur products.
History of the founding of the brand.
Emil Shabaev, co-owner of the brand of the same name, watched with interest from an early age as his mother, trained as an outerwear tailor, worked in an atelier and sewed things to order. Since then, he began to get interested in fabrics, fur and tailoring outerwear. Emil began drawing his first sketches on paper about 8-10 years ago (after he graduated from school) - these were leather jackets. Then he began accepting orders for sewing leather jackets and fur coats, having only the desire to make beautiful and exclusive things. More and more orders were received, the number of clients grew rapidly, and the need arose for quality control at all stages of production. To provide a full and high-quality range of services, it was decided to open a boutique studio.
About the brand.
Atelier-boutique “Emil Shabaev” offers a full range of premium services, ranging from minor repairs to recutting, tailoring to order and sale of finished products. With individual tailoring, the image of the future product is first discussed, followed by a sketch on paper. Then patterns are drawn up, taking into account the features of the figure, a certain fur is selected, all factors are important: size, variety, shade of fur and other materials. Thus, the brand guarantees not only the perfect fit of the product, but also its uniqueness. One of the most popular services provided by the studio is cleaning of fur products without chemicals. It is this kind of cleaning that helps maintain the quality and durability of products without causing any harm to the fur.
The studio presents a wide variety of models, striking with their impeccable quality and exceptional design, from scarves and collars to vests and full-length fur coats. Here you can purchase premium-class products from different types of rare sable, lynx, etc. and the more popular mink, fox, auction fur, and exotic leather brought to order. All products are made from leather and fur, processed using the best fabrications in the world. Fur is bought at auctions such as NAFA, Saga and others.
The company has its own production facility in Moscow, equipped with professional modern equipment. Our production employs the best professionals in their field, experienced specialists, time-tested, and most importantly, they put their souls into each of the products, because approximately 75% of the work is manual labor.
Date modified: 10/23/2013
Vicuna fur
These small funny animals live in Peru. Wool is characterized by an unprecedented synthesis of two seemingly opposite characteristics: it is thin, but it insulates very well from the cold.
Previously, a gentle method of extracting fur was used - the animals were shorn. Later they began to be killed, completely using their skin and fur. Due to the critical reduction in the number of this type of llama, it was decided to return to the method that was used by our ancestors.
Which fur should you choose? Advice Emil Shabaeva
Every woman deserves to look elegant, luxurious and even, dare we say, royal. The owner of a fur salon, Emil Shabaev, believes that you don’t have to spend your whole life trying to get a fur coat made from vicuña fur: these are extremely expensive products that only a few people in the world have.
Even if you have a fur coat made of silver fox, but it is well-made and sewn to your figure, it will be able to serve you no worse than mink or sable. The main thing is to find a fur coat model that suits you. And the masters of Emil Shabaev’s salon will help you deal with this matter.
Interview with Emil Shabaev - about trends in the fur industry, criticism and environmental friendliness of fur coats
Emil Shabaev is a maestro in the world of fur. He founded his personal brand more than ten years ago and very quickly became one of the most prominent Russian designers working in the field of fur products. Remember any metropolitan socialite - from Natalia Osmann to Victoria Shelyagova - and in her wardrobe there will probably be a fur coat created by Emil Shabaev. On the eve of the most severe winter frosts, we spoke with Emil about whose ability to wear fur he admires. And of course, about the environmental friendliness of this material and criticism of the designer.
A fur coat is a great investment that, with a timeless design, will be passed down from generation to generation. How to develop such a design?
If it really is forever, forever, then it should be a model on the theme of a classic coat or a fur coat, a little reminiscent of a trench coat.
How to care for it so that it does not lose its original appearance?
It’s very simple - store it in a special case, keep it out of heavy rain and keep it away from the battery. A fur coat, like any other clothing, will last longer if you treat it with care.
Silvia Venturini-Fendi believes that fur is the most natural and durable of materials. What do you think about this?
I agree with Ms. Sylvia. Natural fur is undoubtedly one of the most wearable items in your wardrobe. Its service life ranges from 10–15 years to 25–30. Average.
For me personally, it is a living material, just like skin. Each type of fur is unique in its own way and I have great respect for it. It is the most difficult to work with, and there are the fewest specialists in the world who know how to work with it. In a word, it is akin to art.
Glamor magazine editor-in-chief Ilyana Erdneeva
As a fur designer, do you often face criticism?
I rarely face criticism, but it’s impossible without it. Design criticism is a reminder to me to always move forward. There was a very funny incident in Courchevel. A company was passing by, and someone said: “Look how beautiful these fur coats are,” and I was sitting in the store and heard. Another young man answered, looking at the display case: “I don’t like it,” and I immediately thought: how many more things can I come up with.
Today, is a fur coat primarily a testament to your condition or is it just comfort?
A fur coat is wildly fashionable, very classic and at the same time super comfortable. The main thing is the style you choose.
How to fit a fur coat into a casual wardrobe without looking too “expensive and rich”?
Our fur coats are about style, lightness and sometimes even sport. And expensive - yes. I don't see a problem with this. It's bad when it's cheap. Any fur coat worn with sweatpants will look casual. Not from lynx, of course, but from mink - please. It is important to make a design and a product that looks more expensive than it costs. And not vice versa.
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How long does it take to create one fur coat?
Minimum - two weeks, if the patterns are ready. This is a very long time, since at the factory a fur coat is made in a maximum of a week. And we make some fur coats up to 30–35 days.
What do you personally consider the main advantages of fur products?
Everywhere there are pros and cons. I'm more of an optimist than a realist.
How is the price of a fur product determined? Is only the quality and value of the fur itself taken into account?
Everything influences: from the purchase of fur (in our case, these are the most expensive furs in their class), work (high-quality work is always expensive) and, of course, standard costs - advertising, rent, and so on.
Name three women in history whose ability to wear fur coats admires you.
Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn and, of course, Anna Wintour (of the living ones, I couldn’t help but mention her - she always wears fur coats with ease, and therefore chicly, of absolutely all types of fur).
Anna Wintour
© Marc Piasecki
The fur industry also has its own trends. What are the most relevant for this winter?
We're a little more conservative here. Fur coats last too long, so trends don't come and go quickly. The trend is definitely colored fur, which became popular a few years ago. The second is a raglan sleeve, both in the cropped version and not. This is a super classic story and at the same time - super fashionable and comfortable!
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