The International Fur Federation, the global organization that represents every element of the supply chain — farmers, trappers, manufacturers, dressers, dyers and retailers among them — has unveiled its latest effort in sustainability: Furcycle, a labeling system that authenticates vintage and pre-owned fur items.
The system identifies fur items that are aged 20 years and above as vintage fur, and those made at least three years ago as pre-owned fur.
IFF said each piece carrying the label will undergo “a meticulous inspection process by a certified professional furrier, ensuring it meets the highest standards of quality and authenticity.”
The information on the type of fur used, its origin, the manufacturer, the place of manufacture, and an estimation of the year it was manufactured, will be available on IFF’s “Trace Now” platform. Any history about a piece being repaired, cleaned or remodeled, will also be logged into the system.
Mark Oaten, chief executive officer of the IFF, said the organization remains “dedicated to empowering consumers to make informed and conscious decisions when purchasing natural fur.”
“The Furcycle label allows us to emotionally connect the customer with the pre-loved item they are purchasing and providing them the assurance when shopping beautiful and timeless pre-loved and vintage fur,” he added.
The introduction of Furcycle comes a year after IFF unveiled Furmark, a single certification and traceability framework for natural fur that meets animal welfare and environmental standards.