Which Designers would be interested in Ethical Swan Feathers ?

[Diziet]

Good Day

Not going to attempt to sell anything here, but i'm the worlds only recurrant seller of Ethically sourced swan feathers. In the past i've sold them peacemeal, never having in stock more than 100 at a time. I've sold my feathers to the likes of Robert Longo and various film production companies..and people marrying a Mr Swan !

Ethically sourced - i live near a large lake with lots of swans on funnily enough. Now, i've googled and i've googled angel wings and all fashion related connotations i can think of and did not get many worthy results. I've got basically enough feathers to make something magnificant - half of the feathers are huge, 17-18 inches..simply the largest feathers in the world it is possible to source, and i have 100s.

I've not found one single feather related piece of fashion that has ethically sourced feathers, at least it is not mentioned, so assume it is not !

I've died half the feathers black with professional Acid protein dyes and the result is just amazing. They are black, but a deep, rich purlescent black.

Anyway...my question is...can anyone advise which designers might be interested in this ? That is, buying 300+ black swan feathers for some yet to seen creation. They are not cheap so thought a Designer/Fashion house might be more suited to buying.

 

[CommanderTMugler]

I would follow some of the artisans and wing makers that did the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, they were independent contractors but still do some pieces for Cirque Du Soleil, theater, pop artists concerts and so on.

That would probably give you a smoother start since they’re the ones who make the wings and would use them for the big companies.

Here are some of the ones I know, these are their Instagram handles.

oxoxkill
Livingartofarmando
Kirkmaxson
Juliette.meurisse_

 

[Diziet]

I would follow some of the artisans and wing makers that did the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, they were independent contractors but still do some pieces for Cirque Du Soleil, theater, pop artists concerts and so on.

That would probably give you a smoother start since they’re the ones who make the wings and would use them for the big companies.

Here are some of the ones I know, these are their Instagram handles.

oxoxkill
Livingartofarmando
Kirkmaxson
Juliette.meurisse_

thank you, i shall check them all out !

 

[Benn98]

Good Day

Not going to attempt to sell anything here, but i'm the worlds only recurrant seller of Ethically sourced swan feathers. In the past i've sold them peacemeal, never having in stock more than 100 at a time. I've sold my feathers to the likes of Robert Longo and various film production companies..and people marrying a Mr Swan !

Ethically sourced - i live near a large lake with lots of swans on funnily enough. Now, i've googled and i've googled angel wings and all fashion related connotations i can think of and did not get many worthy results. I've got basically enough feathers to make something magnificant - half of the feathers are huge, 17-18 inches..simply the largest feathers in the world it is possible to source, and i have 100s.

I've not found one single feather related piece of fashion that has ethically sourced feathers, at least it is not mentioned, so assume it is not !

I've died half the feathers black with professional Acid protein dyes and the result is just amazing. They are black, but a deep, rich purlescent black.

Anyway...my question is...can anyone advise which designers might be interested in this ? That is, buying 300+ black swan feathers for some yet to seen creation. They are not cheap so thought a Designer/Fashion house might be more suited to buying.

Thanks for posting. Sorry to ask, but can you please explain what do you mean by 'ethically sourced' swan feathers?
How would you get these feathers off a swan? Does it mean they're not reared in confined spaces which I imagine would make the feathers unethical?
What would you need swan feathers for? I thought the type of shows and productions mentioned in CommanderTMugler's post would use ostrich feathers instead?

I ask because in the UK swans are protected by law meaning you're not allowed to shoot at them but even before that law came into effect, swans were always regarded as a regal species. In fact all swans legally belong to the Queen. Was quite amazed to find that in America they're being hunted down so mercilessly and paraded as trophies.

 

[Diziet]

Thanks for posting. Sorry to ask, but can you please explain what do you mean by 'ethically sourced' swan feathers?
How would you get these feathers off a swan? Does it mean they're not reared in confined spaces and specifically for their feathers which I imagine would make the feathers unethical?
What would you need swan feathers for? I thought the type of shows and productions mentioned in CommanderTMugler's post would use ostrich feathers instead?

I ask because in the UK swans are protected by law meaning you're not allowed to shoot at them but even before that law came into effect, swans were always regarded as a regal species. Was quite amazed to find that in America they're being hunted down so mercilessly and paraded as trophies.

Everyone uses ostrich feathers, totally unethically sourced. Such large feathers as my swan feathers and simply not available and very rare. I sold 1000 feathers last year for an average of $5.00 each.....even at that price.

Every year they moult, the feathers are just lying on the ground, and i pick them up.

here you go, the lake and said swans

 

[Benn98]

^Ah, I see. Thanks. So beautiful.

 

[tigerrouge]

If what you're doing is picking up moulted feathers from wild birds in an outdoors environment which is not under your control (i.e. not a farm) I would suggest you consider:

These feathers are readily available to anyone in any place where there are large numbers of swans, so it is unlikely that any one person could have a monopoly on their supply;

In order to be sold as a commercial product, the hygiene/disease control aspect will need to be considered; not only do feathers harbour certain surprises, the environment the birds live in can be generally unsanitary, and using minimal measures such as flash freezing may not be enough;

The export/import of animal products between countries can be subject to strict laws. Wild swans can be carriers of bird flu, which can persist on the feathers if improperly processed.

 

[Benn98]

These feathers are readily available to anyone in any place where there are large numbers of swans, so it is unlikely that any one person could have a monopoly on their supply

Must say I'm quite relieved that Diziek is posting on here and not on say, Twitter or Facebook where a greedy person may come across the post and try and create a demand for it by turning it into a full-blown enterprise. Usually in such cases, the eventual next step would be exploitation of the birds because the time will come when a client wants feathers but the swans are not moulting.

But above all else, totally agree about the health and safety precautions (didn't even think of that!). Especially considering the bird flu outbreaks we've seen over the past few years (and the pandemic we're in right now).

 

[tigerrouge]

If you want to investigate the use of feathers from wild birds and the legality of their use, an interesting source of info might be fly-fishing forums - people who tie their own lures for fly-fishing use a wide array of feathers for that purpose, and they will have given thought to using the feathers from different birds they come in contact with while outdoors. Not all feathers are legal to possess, and others should not be sold commercially (or without the appropriate paperwork).

 

[Diziet]

If what you're doing is picking up moulted feathers from wild birds in an outdoors environment which is not under your control (i.e. not a farm) I would suggest you consider:

These feathers are readily available to anyone in any place where there are large numbers of swans, so it is unlikely that any one person could have a monopoly on their supply;

In order to be sold as a commercial product, the hygiene/disease control aspect will need to be considered; not only do feathers harbour certain surprises, the environment the birds live in can be generally unsanitary, and using minimal measures such as flash freezing may not be enough;

The export/import of animal products between countries can be subject to strict laws. Wild swans can be carriers of bird flu, which can persist on the feathers if improperly processed.

one step ahead of you. They are initially washed with bleach and water, then left in a bath of hydrogen peroxide, then rinsed in plain water. To turn them black, they are then simmered in hot water for 30 mins ! I'm also registered with the American Humane Society as i've supplied varous films.

put quite simply, i oddly enough do have a near monopoly, i bessech you to google it, find any website, shop, anything to indicate someone, somewhere sells swan feathers. One dude on ebay and that's it, and he's only got 9 i think. It's crazy, but true.