Ecopel, fake fur and real business

Christopher Sarfati, head of Ecopel, did the math: 2,000 guards watching over the British sovereign wear a hat made of Canadian black bear fur. These headdresses are renewed by thirds every three years, at a cost of 1,300 to 1,700 pounds each (€1,550 to €2,500). And, to make each one, an animal must be killed. Since Ecopel, the company he runs, makes fake fur, Christopher Sarfati approached Peta, an animal protection association, to present an offer to British MPs: he is prepared to provide these 2,000 headdresses free of charge as and when they are renewed, for ten years.

It was in 2022. Although he has not yet received an answer, he does not lose hope that one day it will end up being positive. “King Charles has an ecological streak, and the reine Elizabeth II had given up fur in 2019″he recalls. Saving a significant number of Canadian black bears each year… Beyond good publicity, it would also demonstrate that Ecopel’s fake fur no longer has much to envy the real thing.

Also readAre innovative textiles really more environmentally friendly?

It was with his father, Gérard, who died in 2021, that Christopher Sarfati launched into this real fake fur business. Ecopel, which employs 1,800 people for a turnover of 100 million euros, was founded in 2004 in China. Circumstances dictated that it would be so. Father and son both already worked in fashion and textiles. Gérard Sarfati had managed a textile factory in Spain. He had manufactured parkas and down jackets under the Nina Ricci license.

More environmentally friendly

Christopher Sarfati, at 19, had started his professional life by importing Spanish ice creams to France. He then joined Nina Ricci. Direction Tokyo to straighten out the brand’s subsidiary. “The Japanese, he said, taught me patience, respect and education in business relationships.” After the sale of Nina Ricci to the Catalan company Puig, he joined the Von Dutch brand in Los Angeles, before creating Ecopel.

“During a trip to China, says Christopher Sarfati, My father and I were having dinner in a restaurant in Shanghai. It was in 2004. We struck up a conversation with a very nice gentleman. He was Mr. Hyuen, founder of the Haixin group. This company has become a conglomerate present in textiles, health, real estate… He was then producing stuffed animals for Disney. He invited us to visit his factory. My father told me: “This material is the future!” It was a rather coarse acrylic, too shiny, not very soft to the touch. Nothing to do with what we get now. But my father was convinced that fake fur would take up more and more space in the fashion industry. We joined forces with Haixin to create Ecopel, with an initial investment of $50,000 for each of the three partners.”

The objective is to move away from synthetics and, from 2026, to use only recycled noble materials.

Christopher Sarfati, CEO of Ecopel

This acrylic faux fur, even if it didn’t really look good, was still convincing for cheap items. It was on this basis that the Sarfatis grew Ecopel while working to obtain a faux fur that was as beautiful as real fur and more environmentally friendly. They first found what they were looking for with a Japanese manufacturer, Kaneka, and its Kanekaron fiber, a modacrylic used for hair extensions. They also discovered Koba, a fiber made from corn by the American chemist DuPont. “The goal is to move away from synthetics and, from 2026, to use only recycled noble materials, such as cashmere, and plant materials, such as linen, hemp, nettle.”says Christopher Sarfati.

Luxury converts to faux fur

Stella McCartney tipped the scales. «In 2014, continues Christopher Sarfati, I had an appointment with his team to present samples: browns, beiges, very classic shades. By chance, Stella McCartney was there for the meeting. The softness of the fiber convinced her. On the other hand, for the colors, it was not that… She wanted something bright, flashy. She showed me on a Pantone pinks, greens, yellows. We granted her wish. Following in the footsteps of the British designer, other luxury brands have converted.

At the same time, Christopher Sarfati is working to develop European production. In 2019, he acquired a stake in Peltex, the last French faux fur factory. It develops a plant fiber from hemp and nettle. The company was going through a difficult period at the time. After the pandemic, the manager continued with new stakes in European SMEs – Silmatex and Areto Textil in Spain, Steiff Schulte in Germany.

This European hub represents a turnover of 10 million euros. “Covid has shown that China can close itself off, analysis Christopher Sarfati. The goal today is for us to be able to produce on every continent to avoid any disruption in the supply of our customers wherever they are.” Logically, the next step should be the United States.