Lucas van Vugt’s relationship with fur started in his early childhood, when he created stoles and headpieces for his dolls using old fur trims from his grandmother’s garments. Now he has moved on to designing fur homewares.
While studying as an industrial designer at Design Academy Eindhoven, he experimented designing fur homewares and even cerated a quilt using pigeon feathers.
He then went onto to do an internship at Furlab in Amsterdam, where he learned more about the techniques and skills required to handle fur as a material. This then gave him the base to start his first furniture collection, using vintage fur coats bought online.
To further his knowledge in fur craftsmanship, he went onto study at the design centre of Saga Furs in Denmark.
He says, “The amazing techniques I learnt there are very useful for upholstery, and taught me to use fur more economically. Saga Furs also gave me the opportunity to design and create a new bench, upholstered with origin-assured fox fur.”
For this specific design, he decided to use fox fur for its range of colours and extraordinary touch. By choosing different coloured fox fur he was able to mix the strips of fur into a pattern on the computer before producing.
“The gradient was intended to grade from long-haired dark fox, to lighter and white shorter hair fox fur. With a difference in hair lengths, which is best seen on the backrest of the bench.”
The bench itself was locally sourced French Oak with a colour and pattern which perfectly matched the atmosphere he wanted to create.
He hopes to show the bench, accompanied by other pieces, during the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven 2014.