Possums Adding Value to Elver’s Backpacks

“When Kiwi footwear and accessories start-up Elver launched last year the brand faced a dilemma: manufacturers can’t produce small batches without extraordinary costs. The firm decided to capitalize on the availability of ethical furs such as that of possum (considered a pest) and only source offshore for material such as leather,” Monocle reports.

“‘By using possum fur we hope to create demand for its harvest, which has a positive spin-off: assisting conservation management,’ says Andrew Steel, who founded the company with Blake Dunlop.

“‘Our major competitors [for backpacks particularly] operate at the lower end of the market. Our possums allow us to add value.’”

Original article by Monocle, September 2014.