Valerie Zimbal- most people in the fur industry would recognise Valerie name and associate her with Zimbal Minkery, a family operated mink farm that raises approximately 300,000 mink per year. But now, Valerie is making a name for herself with her mink designs. “I really like to ‘people watch’. Whenever I travel to new places, I like to take the time to absorb my surroundings, sit on a bench and see what people are wearing and how they interact. I like to take bits and pieces from the latest trends and bring them into my designs.”
She started college as a fine arts major, and soon moved towards fashion. She fell in love with mink as a fabric. After finishing college, she worked for a fur retailer as an assistant designer in New York City. After working in the fur industry for a few years, she started designing her own line of mink garments. She only uses Zimbal Mink for her collections, which she still holds dear and believes are of the highest quality.
“Although I cannot pin point my first style moment, I have always been interested in art and expressing my feelings through art. I believe fashion is an expression – whether you are creating it or wearing it.”
Valerie is also a member of IFF’s Fur Futures, an initiative which supports the next generation of people within the fur industry.
“As a little girl growing up in the fur industry, I always have respected the animals, and as I became interested in fashion the finished garment fascinated me. I love how fur is so versatile; it is fashionable, yet functional.”
Valerie has showcased her designs on the IFF stand at fur fairs around the world, including HONG KONG FUR & FASHION FAIR and MIFUR.
Click here for more information http://www.valeriezimbal.com/