Pandemonium is a company full of animal lovers; if anyone wasn't when they came in, they sure are after meeting Mr. Watson! The fact that all of our Faux Fur is so fashionable and authentic, in look and feel, makes the choice to choose Faux obvious.
And YES! ALL of our fur is 100% FAUX FUR!!! We receive all of our Faux Fur on rolls that we inspect for quality and assurance.
Note: While all of our Fur is Faux and all of our products made of solid "Leather" are Vegan (Vegan Fingerless Gloves, Vegan Obi Sash, etc.), we do occasionally use/have the option of real leather components. Our Tokyo Tote may be ordered with real leather OR faux suede straps. Our Valencia Handbags may be ordered with real leather OR velvet handles. Our Madrid Handbags come with real leather handles. On our Naples Messenger Bag, the tabs to connect the hook are real leather for extra strength.
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Ethical Sourcing:
We strive to keep a fun friendly atmosphere here and with our vendors. We make sure that all of our sourced goods involve no unfair labor practices. Right before the "global shutdown", Leigh managed to visit some of the mills in Korea where our faux fur is produced. It feels important to know our vendors, where it's made and really know who is making it.
When asked what's important to her about our production, Christine, (Office Manager) said, "the understanding of what it takes to make a well-made garment with the use of quality materials, findings, and an experienced labor force. This knowledge allows the consumer to know exactly what it is they are receiving when they invest in higher quality product versus lower quality product."
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Charitable Endeavors:
When we can (time permitting), we work with Perfect Pals, a fabulous local cat shelter. They have several adoption centers around the North West and have permanent residents for special needs cats, as well. They work hand-in-hand with local pet stores to find permanent homes for their kitties. During October, they usually put on their "Black Cat Gala" or have a fun auction or costume contest that we try to participate in. They are great at creating fun, interactive opportunities for people to give back to the cats and volunteers that love them.
Most of our hats are lined in Faux Fur or a soft Jersey Knit ie: The Cuffed Pillbox, The Beanie Hat, and The Rowdie. These hat styles have always been very popular, but also an important piece of comfort for someone with Alopecia or undergoing Chemotherapy. We always try to consider the different types of customers who shop Pandemonium, and why they do so, so we can design new, fun products accordingly.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pandemonium temporarily transitioned into making masks for Providence hospital (over 70,000!), enabling us to stay safe, do our part to help, and keep our people working. With that project now complete, we continue to make face masks, now reusable for the general public.
We also offer a Mask Matching Donation opportunity for our retail customers. When you buy a mask, specifically to donate to a front-line worker/cause of your selection, we will also be donating a mask to the charity of your choice. If you want to donate ten masks, then we will donate ten masks. We are all in this together and working to make things a little easier for each other is the best any of us can do.
And don't forget: For every Two (2) Face Masks purchases, Pandemonium Millinery will donate One (1) to front-line workers in need of more PPE.
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The Extra Step:
We care deeply about the environment and always do our part to recycle our materials/waste and reuse old (nice) boxes and packing materials for shipping. For all shipping, we use minimal interior packaging.
We also are able to maximize our fabric utilization by working with an auto-nester to see what our best lay-out will be before we cut.
Many of our spring materials are recycled fabrics, sourced from jobbers. Fabric jobbers are a great source to find unique fabrics in many colors. By searching for fabrics with jobbers, we are using materials that have already been produced, so no new raw goods are being processed needlessly.
(No Live Fish...Just Clean Recycled Boxes. Promise!)
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Cool Vs. Cruel:
A lot of people right now are talking about the ethics of Faux vs. real Fur.
Throughout history, people have utilized fur for it's warmth and general opulence. Often the utility became secondary and it became a sign of wealth and nobility. With the invention of Faux Fur, this look became widely available. Over the years Faux became more and more "real" looking, to the point that real fur started to look more inauthentic.
Now with the ability to make real and Faux Fur look even more alike, some people are finding themselves debating what choice is the most ethical? That depends on your specific definition of ethics!
Many people will tell you that they will never wear an animal's hide and that's the end.
Some, like those with the Mink Lobby, will tell you that animals die of natural causes. Additionally they will argue that the creation of poly-filaments from petroleum is bad for the environment and that the clothing created will be around for 1,000's of years. This can be bad with the rise in bright, crazy, "fast-fashion" in furs. These are knee-jerk reactions from an industry that has been taking notable hits from the introduction of Faux Fur and knows that it will continue to do so as technology improves.
There are many things to consider here, including many assumptions on fashion, and ignorance of material need. Yes, polyester is chemically made and undergoes chemical processing, but much of the polyester used in these small fibers is from recycled plastics. Also, real fur is getting the same finishing more often than not. When using real fur there are many costs to consider: Are these animals trapped? That takes a team of trappers. Are they farmed? That takes farmers. These animals probably need to be fed until the appropriate size. They aren't going to be given much freedom of movement to preserve their coat. These farms and the subsequent factories that receive these pelts all produce emissions and pollutants.
Are you okay wearing something that could have lived a longer life? Something you could have loved? Something that could have loved you back? (Queue Sarah McLaughlin's Angel...)
We are currently sponsoring a BEAUTIFUL Burgundy Fox named Pandemonium. Miss Pande was rescued from a fur farm and was being kept in a small, elevated cage with only wire flooring. She was in a row of cages with other foxes waiting for their time to be harvested (sorry, but that's the term). She was saved with several other foxes by the great team at SaveAFox Rescue in Minnesota. They were able to coordinate homes for all of these adorable animals and now Pandemonium has a wonderful home with the people at Florida Fox Rescue. She has a yard, a big enclosure, a dog house, toys, and a family to love her (and foxy friends)!
The great thing about Pandemonium is our commitment to classic, sustainable fashion. Moving away from the "fast-fashion" of the Fur trend is the only true way to be ethical and continue to flaunt your fur. The flash-in-the-pan fashion leads to the terrible influx of pollution and waste.
And YES! AGAIN! ALL of our fur is 100% FAUX FUR!!! We receive all of our Faux Fur on rolls that we inspect for quality and assurance.
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