While Ekaterina has a say in the designs of Ekaterina Furs, she openly discloses she is not a designer and doesn’t claim to be. As you’d expect, leading a fashion company means Ekaterina needs to be involved in every aspect of manufacturing, from design to production. Ekaterina takes me to the very start of production, the Fur Guru wants to know: is animal welfare an important factor you consider when sourcing and buying your furs, Ekaterina?
Yes, of course! We work with global auction houses and leading Russian fur farms. This is fundamental to Ekaterina Furs and means we can be confident in the ethical treatment of the animals on the farms from which we source our fur. I have always been an advocate for the living planet, and faux fur and its production causes irreparable harm to the environment. This is something I wholeheartedly reject.
Living in one of the coldest places in the world, Russia, how do you feel the consumers and markets there differs from the rest of the world?
Russia has a difficult climate – not only is it cold in the winter, but often in autumn and spring too. The best protection from the cold is natural fur, which means we have a stable demand for fur garments year-round.
I see! And while you have explained that you have input in the design process but are not a designer, would you say this Russian climate affects the way Ekaterina Furs designs and manufactures fur garments, Ekaterina?
Well, as you’d expect, each collection has its own source of inspiration – art, phenomena, Russian women, for example. In the latest collection, the brightest and most complex works were fur coats, inspired by comics, they were immediately bought up. But, as you say, I take part in the design, but I’m not a designer. So, as the owner of the company, I have to do many different jobs. Nonetheless, I consider it an achievement that we are firmly on our feet in the conditions of an unstable global and domestic market.
(Me too, Ekaterina. Me too!)
I’m sure many of you reading this, like me, are not surprised that Ekaterina’s latest collection has been bought up so quickly. Her designs are innovative, young and original. Not forgetting to mention that many of her designs have been featured in national and international magazines!
I have always found the inspirations for designer’s collections interesting, the creative vision of others is fascinating to me. Moreover, Ekaterina, it seems the team at Ekaterina Furs is very close, would you say you’re like a family working towards a shared goal?
I this so. I am very impressed by the Missoni family. Everyone is involved in business, and they give the impression of a friendly and large family. Since I am a supporter of traditional family values, in my opinion, I am very happy to see such examples in Europe, where everything is too tolerant at times. So I would describe Ekaterina Furs in this regard, a friendly family with traditional views.
That’s great, Ekaterina!
As we all know, fashion is about instilling confidence in those who wear it. That being said, what do you hope your clothes do for those who wear them?
Today, women have to juggle a lot. The combination of career and a family means my clothes must be first and foremost comfortable and practical. I am the head of the company, I have three children so I am familiar with the day-to-day goings on for the working women. This means my clothes must be comfortable as well as fashionable. To ensure this, I always check on myself.
I tell myself, clothes should be comfortable, no matter how fashionable and beautiful, if you are not comfortable in it, you should not buy it!
How does it make you feel when you see Ekaterina Furs in very influential magazines such as Vogue, Glamour, Tatler, HELLO! And more?
Of course, it’s nice when Ekaterina Furs is featured in popular fashion magazines. It’s important to remember, behind each amazing and stunning feature is my great team, we all share in these successes. And now we are the leading fur company in Russia, it’s almost impossible to present fashionable reviews or produce a fashion shoot without featuring our garments.
Well, it’s great for the entire fur trade to see someone like yourself at the helm of a fashion empire like Ekaterina Furs. Trailblazing trends, pushing for beautiful and practical fashion appears to be your company ethos, one which the Fur Guru wholeheartedly supports. All that is left to say is: Thank you! Thank you for all you do to promote the fashionability of fur in this uncertain climate. We love seeing Ekaterina Furs on the pages of fashion magazines and hope to continue seeing more in the future.