Services
We are proud to offer a broad range of services at Linda Black. If you live in the Melbourne area, just call us on (03) 9597 9687 between 10am and 5pm Tuesday to Friday or 10am to 2pm Saturdays, and a make a time to bring your garments in. You can also contact us by email from anywhere in Australia at jonjackson@lindablack.com.au and send photographs of the fur pieces, and any ideas and plans you may have in mind.
FUR GARMENT ALTERATIONS & REMODELLING
You may have Grandma's old fox necklet with its glass eyes and clip in the mouth so it bites its' tail. You may have your own fur jacket or coat from an earlier period in your life which either no longer fits, or is way out of date. Nearly all furs can have another life; so really, we can convert them to anything you like. For example, Grandma's fox becomes a large shawl collar which you can wear on any coat or jacket. That fu jacket from years ago is restyled and enlarged (or reduced) to suit who you are now. It may become a vest, with one of the removed sleeves used to enlarge the body, and the other becomes a hat or scarf. An inherited coat can become a jacket and a vest as well. A stole can be converted to a long double-sided scarf or a hat and collar, a set of coat trims, even a pair of cushions.
FUR THROWS FOR YOUR SOFA & BED
If you have a fur garment which you don't wish to wear, but would like to keep, then this could be the answer. We can take a full length coat and make it into a throw of about 1.2m x 1.3m, depending on the garment size. If we also have a stole, it can be added as a border. Now we have a throw that's 1.4m x1.5m. The garments are unpicked by hand and rearranged into a square or rectangular shape, resewn and re-oiled if necessary. We sew a layer of polar fleece to the back, and then a lining of your choice. We can also combine two garments to make into a bedspread. Some people have several smaller fur pieces such as stoles and capes, and even these can be combined to make a large throw. Despite variations in fur type, we can arrange them to be complimentary to one another. Almost any type of fur can be used, but there are some types which take longer to work than others. Because of the amount of variations in fur types and the time it takes to dismantle, unpick and remake various garments, we estimate costs once we have a good look at the garments in store. We have a large stock of vintage fur garments that can be used if you don't have any of your own.
FUR CUSHIONS
This is a great way to use a fur garment that you no longer wish to wear. A jacket will make 4 good sized cushions, a cape or stole makes 2. A full length coat makes 8! We can make any size, whatever suits the fur that's available. The inserts are made to fit accordingly. The back of the cushion is usually a fabric of your choice. We can make them fur on both sides, but this reduces the number of possible cushions, and subjects the inner side to being crushed and worn against furniture.
FUR CLEANING
We clean fur garments using the traditional Furrier's method, rotating them in a special refined sawdust compound. This is gentle on the pelts, and softens and reinvigorates the skins. Different grades of sawdust are used for various types of fur, and cleaning spirits are added for heavier soiling. Once cleaned, they are placed in another machine which rotates the sawdust back out of the garment, taking all the loose hair and dirt with it. The result is a garment which is soft and lustrous once more. If your fur is very old or fragile, we can clean it by hand with special cleaning spirits to ensure its' survival. Cleaning costs range from $60 for a stole or cape through $80 for a jacket and from $100 for a coat. If the garment has any damage to the skin or lining, we would have to fix this prior to cleaning. This does incur additional cost. We strongly recommend that you do not take your furs to a drycleaner. These days, most are not equipped to do the job without damaging the pelts.
FUR DEODORIZING
Furs often develop unwanted odours from years of wear or long periods of storage. Household damp and mould, cigarette smoke, stale perfume and cosmetics, mothballs or naphthalene and camphor. We are able to effectively remove most of these odours using various treatments which absorb the smells while simultaneously cleaning the fur. Costs are based on cleaning costs as mentioned above with a nominal extra charge for the deodorizing. A more accurate costing can be provided upon inspection of the garment in store.MOTH DAMAGE & TREATMENTS
If you have a garment which has been affected by Moths, we can treat it, using special cleaning spirits and a coarse sawdust blend which eliminates moth eggs, removes loose hair, and brings the lustre back to the pelts. After this process, we can clearly assess what repairs are needed for the garment be either worn as it is or be recycled into something new and original.
SELLING AND CONSIGNMENT OPPORTUNITIES
If you have fur garment you wish to sell, we offer a consignment service, where we sell your furs for you. There is a 50% commission on the selling price, when and if it sells. If you live in Melbourne, you can call us and make a time to bring them in. (03) 9587 9687. No matter where you live in Australia, you can send us photographs of the garments via email jonjackson@lindablack.com.au. Photographs are best taken with someone wearing them, or at least on a mannequin. Take images of the front and back view, with a close up of the actual fur and any labels. A photo which shows the state of the lining is also helpful. Once received, we can discuss further via email, whether it's suitable to sell here or by another method. Often the furs are not good enough to just hang up and sell, but are suitable for recycling, especially when they are made of desirable pelts. We have a large stock pile of furs that are used to keep other furs 'on the road' as it were. These are the furs we usually buy outright, if we need them. Other furs can be simply too old to re-use, but that's just what happens when a natural product comes to the end of its life. These are the things we can talk about once you contact us.
INTERSTATE AND OUT-OF-TOWN ENQUIRIES
We receive requests for advice from all over Australia, and we are always pleased to help. Garments are sent to us for all sorts of reasons, some for resale, others for cleaning and repairs. We have many customers who we have yet to meet face to face. None the less, we communicate effectively via email and phone, and everything gets done without a hitch. In the case where you are want us to buy the garment or sell it for you, it's best to send us photos where the pieces are being worn by someone or on a mannequin. That way we can see the style of them and decide whether or not they'd sell as they are, or they are useful just for the pelts in making and repairing other furs. If you want repairs and cleaning done, then the piece should be sent to us for an assessment after a discussion by either phone or email. We will advise on postal details prior to anything being sent in.
INTERNATIONAL ENQUIRIES
We are happy to receive enquiries from other countries, but we do have to identify the fur in the garment concerned, and see if it would be passed by Australian customs, before taking on any work orders. Most common farmed furs like Fox, Mink and Rabbit are safe to send anywhere in the world, but Australia and many other countries (the UK, U.S.A and Canada) are signatories to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES Treaty) Furs such as Leopard, Jaguar, Ocelot, Lynx and Colobus Monkey are illegal to send into Australia. Heavy fines and time in custody are a real risk. The age of the garment does not affect its' being illegal to cross international borders, so it's best to identify the fur via email photographs beforehand. In short, we like to see images of the pieces prior to anything being sent to us, to guard against a breach of the treaty. We are accustomed to identifying fur types from photographs, as long as the images are clear.
BESPOKE WORK
Linda Black is also equipped to help designers and manufacturers create small sample runs of fur garments and trims. We can create patterns or adapt yours for making up in fur, both natural and artificial. We can also create fur accessories and trims for evening and bridal gowns to order. For Autumn & Winter brides, we create coronets, wraps, capes, bandoliers, stoles, collars and muffs to compliment any gown. Linda Black creates and supplies furs for film, television and stage. Our expertise in fur fashion history ensures accuracy and quality in period costume recreations. We also regularly make fur trims for traditional ceremonial Legal, Civic and Academic robes.