FUR(M) FRIENDS
When Jane Avery decided to start a business using fur, her location couldn’t have been better; turns out she lives in the city with probably New Zealand’s last true furrier. Mooney’s Furriers is a nearly 100-year- old furrier company with the bare minimum of an online presence. “I found them through an old news story. I didn’t even know if they still existed, but I went to see them and told them I planned to make bespoke coats with rabbit fur,” says Jane. Mooney’s current owners, furrier Max Wilson and business partner Heather Kirk (right), were bemused. “We thought it’d go nowhere and we’d never see her again,” says Heather. But no; back came Jane with her coats and her furs and urged Max — a second- generation furrier from Manchester — to get busy treating them, and to teach her to use the deceptively simple and specialized cupping machine. It quickly became something of a partnership and they’re clearly fond of each other. “I could not do what I’m doing without them. They’re essential to the Lapin enterprise.” Max started work at Mooney’s back in 1987, while Heather began sewing in 1973, later moving into sales. When the business faced the wall 20 years ago, the pair decided to buy. “Fur is cyclical so we knew it would come back up again, especially when using a sustainable product like rabbit and possum,” says Heather. When Jane’s selected skins are tanned and dyed (some black, others are left natural), she sends them to Mooney’s. Max then stretches them, “damages” (meaning to repair damage) any imperfections, bald spots or holes, and cuts them to Jane’s patterns. “My skins are a wild resource so are imperfect and varied,” says Jane. “Max accepts that — these furs have character.” When the pieces are ready, Jane visits the Mooney’s workroom with her almostcompleted coats and painstakingly sews in the fur. “There’s no seam allowance in the fur so it’s technically tricky to create a clean seam. I’m a self-trained designer so I had to work out my own way of doing it. There’s been trial and error along the way and I’ve learned a lot from Max and Heather,” says Jane. In the early days Heather helped with construction, but Jane soon took charge of the cupping machine. “She didn’t even break a needle on her first go,” says Heather. Jane’s broken a few since. “Not too many. I think I’m still in the single digits,” she says. Jane’s keen to learn more about using fur, and with Max eyeing retirement, she may just have to do that. lapin.nz