Ecopel acquires stake in faux fur specialist Silmatex

Faux fur artisan Ecopel has announced it has become a shareholder of Silmatex, building on its mission to support its ‘Made in Europe’ manufacturing strategy.

The Spanish faux fur specialist, which has been operating since 2009, joins French factory Peltex as one of Ecopel’s partners, creating a triad of European-based manufacturers.

“We are happy to collaborate with Silmatex. Supporting the last faux fur factories in Europe is crucial for us,” said Ecopel CEO, Christopher Sarfati, in a release.

Sarfati continued: “We need to protect the specific know-how of this desirable, ethical material that the fashion world is so fond of.”

Ecopel said it is looking to increase the share of faux fur production outside China, from three percent to 20 percent, in the coming years.

It added that it has also been negotiating to acquire family-owned faux fur mills in Italy to further expand its reach.

Silmatex and Ecopel previously collaborated on the Umi collection, which launched last year, with a further collection to be developed alongside it.