FRANCE: FASHION FAUX-PAW

[00:54:35:00]- narration

They say owners look like their dogs. Well now many owners are donning their dogs' coats for fashion! Regular grooming of your dog, brushing or cutting, produces up to 800 grams of hair per year.  Instead of throwing it away, why not make it into a dog's wool jumper!  Dog wool has been dubbed the new sheep's wool and could become a major new fashion.

[00:54:57:00] - ITW # 1: Marie-France FILLED - Salon grooming "Tutu and Company"

"When the customers arrive with their dog, often with long hair, they kindly ask us to keep the hairs which are cut or collected during brushing in a little big, and to give them to him when he comes to pick up his pet."

[00:55:19:00] - narration

This strange and wonderful idea was dreamt up by Patricia Madurell, who used to run a craft shop. Once she learned how to make her own wool, it wasn't difficult for Patricia to see the fashion potential of her pooch! She sold everything she had to devote herself to this new profession and is now a full-time dog hair spinner.

[00:55:40:00] - ITW # 2: Patricia MADURELL, spinner of dog hair

"It all started with my dog sleeping here beside me. I started to brush him and saw he was losing a lot of hair. I put it aside, thinking that there might one day be someone who can make something out of the dog hair. I didn't find anyone, but in the meantime, I learned how to spin wool, and then started spinning the dog hair "

[00:56:04:00] - Narration

 Spinning dog hair requires patience and some serious skill. On average it takes an hour to spin 100 grams of this canine hair.

[00:56:14:36] - ITW # 3: Patricia MADURELL - spinner of dog hair:

"It's a very sentimental thing to do. Keeping the hair of the dog is something that has more value than mere photographs, plus it's true that the wool produced is very similar to angora, and it makes very beautiful and very original creations. "

[00:56:31:00] - Narration

If you want a sweater made from the hair of your dog, you must have an animal with hairs exceeding 3 cm long, and you need to wait nearly 2 years to collect the amount of hair needed to create a garment.

[00:56:45:00] - ITW # 4: Patricia MADURELL - spinner of dog hair:

"Here's a sample of beautiful white hair from the Husky ... A big dog in the North Pole, which has a very thick wool ...

Now the mountain dogs ... The Leonberg ....

And a dog who lives in the Pyrenees."

[00:57:16:00] - ITW # 5: Patricia MADURELL - spinner of dog hair:

"Personally, I keep only the natural colours. It will never be red, or green, but there is such richness in the colour of dog coats, because it is never completely uniform. It's always shades of white, beige or grey, which always makes the knitting or sweater a much richer colour than the artificial colours. "

[00:57:41:45] - Narration

Based in a small town, Patricia's business has been built on word of mouth. These days people come from far and wide to get the $500 garments. It seems the devotion to man's best friend has no limit.

[00:57:52:00] - ITW # 6: Marc VOGIEL - Client:

"I chose a sweater in dog hair, because I like the natural colour and because I like the touch: it's very very soft and it's warm and comfortable. It also reminds me of my old companion. "

[00:58:10:00] - ITW # 7: Patricia MADURELL - spinner of dog hair:

"We can do all sorts of things: Covers, little jackets, a knitted sweater, a poncho, a sleeveless vest and even slippers."

[00:58:24:21] - OUT