Located near the garment district, Fox Unlimited, like M & S Schmalbergs, is one of the last few speciality stores of its kind. It is a fur cutting/production business that is run by two brothers and is used by a plethora of well known brands. If you see real fur on the runway, chances are that they helped in some way! They also just recently forayed into the home with a new collection they just released
During our visit we heard how the brothers worked together, one buying the skins and the other working more closely with the brand themselves. We also learned how the business had changed over time from the leather and fur craze, to the boycotting of faux fur, to the evolution of faux fur/faux leather. We also were a part of a sort of study group or survey to see how we felt about using and buying faux fur/faux leather or if we would prefer real leather. The consensus was that while faux fur/faux leather was for a point “sustainably branded” it is actually just plastic and often does not have the same feel or longevity as real leather. With that being said, most in the group agreed that they would prefer to buy second hand as there are processes such as tanning that are still questionable on a sustainability standpoint. Overall, it was really great to have a two way conversation so that we could all learn from each other!