Feather hair extensions have become a hot, new summer trend. However, with so many flocking to salons to get them, the demand for the feathers may be soaring too high.
Lisa Wilkinson, a local Tucsonan, doesn't like taking risks with her hair. For her, these feather extensions are perfect since they add flair without fear.
"They're great for summer. Fun colors so you can kind of mix it up a little bit without doing anything permanent," she said.
Tracy Mayfield, a hairstylist from Salon Nouveau, says she's amazed at how many they're selling.
"I've done them on all age groups, from young to sixty. Just one in the back to show occasionally; and that's been fun for all ages," Mayfield said.
Additionally, they're easy to apply, safe for your hair, curling and flat iron friendly, and can be changed in an instant.
"They are very quick to do. You can come in a get a couple of feathers in fifteen minutes and its not a huge commitment. If you don't like them you take them right out."
However, this creative hair expression may be ruffling some fisherman's feathers.
John Keebler, who works at Dry Creek Outfitters, says the specially bred rooster feathers are getting harder and harder to get.
"There's probably only 12 breeders in the world producing feathers like this," he said.
Which is a problem for fly fisherman, like himself, since the feathers are important tools for their sport.
"There's a lot of empty spots on the wall where we used to have feathers and we just cant get them right now," he continued.
Additionally, his feather producers have told him that when they do get more in, he should expect higher prices.
"He said the next time you do get these feathers your price is probably going to be double."
There is a new way to buy feather hair extensions so check out snap on feathers.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Fly Tying Feather Right Into Your Hair
If you've watched the red carpet moments at any awards show recently, or seen "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler, you've witnessed the emergence of a fashion trend.
Seems a lot of fly-tyers and fly shop owners are clucking over the new fashion statement: feather hair extensions.
And the use of feathers in haute coiffure is raising a lot of hackles among those who are finding the supply of rooster capes dwindling at their local fur-and-feather emporiums.
My take is that like most fads, this too shall pass ... like a kidney stone.
So those who are in a position to exploit the trend — commercial tyers — should take advantage of the opportunity before it gets past the sell-by date.
I see a number of openings as expert fashion commentators on the aforementioned awards shows ...
Gus "Two Vises" Dorff: "Looks like Madonna's going for the hare ball leach look with those pink marabous."
Claude "Mr. Crystal Flash" Wilde: "I was just going to say. It's actually a lot more subdued than the egg sucking crystal bugger doo that she wore to the MTV Music Awards."
Both chuckled.
"That was the same show where Lady Gaga came with the live, pink-dyed gamecock strapped to her head, wasn't it?" Dorff asked.
"Right you are. Always over the top," Wilde said, nodding. "And let's just say that nobody at her table had ranch or blue cheese dressing on their salads, if you catch my drift."
There was a short pause as the next celebrity, Kathy Bates, came into camera range.
"Going with the muddler minnow extensions is such a great statement. Nothing says elegance like snippets of turkey quill," Dorff said. "So simple, so elegant, so age-appropriate."
"She really learned her lesson from that last feather faux pas," Wilde responded. "I mean what was she thinking when she went with purple matuka at the Golden Globes?"
Both slowly shook their heads at the memory.
"Although you've got to admit that the stylists at Marcel's Tackle Box Salon really know their way around a whip finish," Dorff offered.
Wilde interrupted the reverie.
"Oh my god! Isn't that ... Cher?" he gasped.
"Yep, and wouldn't you know it, she went with an anchovy zonker," Dorff said.
"Not a lot of stars can pull off those baitfish patterns," Wilde said. "Sharon Stone for one."
"Loved her blue spanker coiff at the Oscars," Dorff offered. "But then again, she'd even look good in a green butt skunk."
"Well, that about wraps it up," Wilde said.
Dorff closed with the pair's signature signoff.
"And remember, if you're going to have your hair done like a star, don't go swimming with the sharks." (source)
Seems a lot of fly-tyers and fly shop owners are clucking over the new fashion statement: feather hair extensions.
And the use of feathers in haute coiffure is raising a lot of hackles among those who are finding the supply of rooster capes dwindling at their local fur-and-feather emporiums.
My take is that like most fads, this too shall pass ... like a kidney stone.
So those who are in a position to exploit the trend — commercial tyers — should take advantage of the opportunity before it gets past the sell-by date.
I see a number of openings as expert fashion commentators on the aforementioned awards shows ...
Gus "Two Vises" Dorff: "Looks like Madonna's going for the hare ball leach look with those pink marabous."
Claude "Mr. Crystal Flash" Wilde: "I was just going to say. It's actually a lot more subdued than the egg sucking crystal bugger doo that she wore to the MTV Music Awards."
Both chuckled.
"That was the same show where Lady Gaga came with the live, pink-dyed gamecock strapped to her head, wasn't it?" Dorff asked.
"Right you are. Always over the top," Wilde said, nodding. "And let's just say that nobody at her table had ranch or blue cheese dressing on their salads, if you catch my drift."
There was a short pause as the next celebrity, Kathy Bates, came into camera range.
"Going with the muddler minnow extensions is such a great statement. Nothing says elegance like snippets of turkey quill," Dorff said. "So simple, so elegant, so age-appropriate."
"She really learned her lesson from that last feather faux pas," Wilde responded. "I mean what was she thinking when she went with purple matuka at the Golden Globes?"
Both slowly shook their heads at the memory.
"Although you've got to admit that the stylists at Marcel's Tackle Box Salon really know their way around a whip finish," Dorff offered.
Wilde interrupted the reverie.
"Oh my god! Isn't that ... Cher?" he gasped.
"Yep, and wouldn't you know it, she went with an anchovy zonker," Dorff said.
"Not a lot of stars can pull off those baitfish patterns," Wilde said. "Sharon Stone for one."
"Loved her blue spanker coiff at the Oscars," Dorff offered. "But then again, she'd even look good in a green butt skunk."
"Well, that about wraps it up," Wilde said.
Dorff closed with the pair's signature signoff.
"And remember, if you're going to have your hair done like a star, don't go swimming with the sharks." (source)
Feather Fad
They're everywhere.
Women are adorning their heads with plumage of their favorite colors, while men are wondering how their fishing hackles got caught in there. Feather hair extensions have followed an interesting path, and while the downy fad may be on its way out, a few stylists are betting on its survival.
The feathers are positioned by putting a bead over a strand of hair, placing the tips of the feathers in with the hair and snapping the bead flat with a pair of fliers. No glue is involved, and the ornament can be washed, curled, straightened — basically you can forget they're even in your hair. Just be careful while brushing.
“They can last up to three to six months, but it's not recommended,” said Michelle Lehnert of Salon Nouveau. “Because you have that gap … to where the bead is, it's easier to catch. You can have it repositioned so you don't have to take it out completely though.”
Salon Nouveau in Eagle-Vail began putting feather extensions in hair in February or March, said stylist Rachel Sandoval. Sandoval said a lot of clients came in to get one at first, but it has slowed down to a trickle now since the pieces stay in so long.
The feathers have slowly made their way across the nation. Steven Tyler sported some while he was an American Idol judge this spring, lending his celebrity stamp of approval to the trend.
“The way that it's traveling, it's here, West Coast, East Coast,” Lehnert said. “It's just now hitting Texas, my mom's a stylist there.”
Ijah Jaboolonfki said she started putting them in while living in Boulder two years ago.
“It just picked up here last season,” said Jaboolonfki, who moved to the Valley last year. The self-taught stylist offers feather extensions through Bangl'z in Avon and Spatique in Vail.
Some worry the trend will plummet soon, especially those investing money in it. Some stylists stopped offering the feathers because they order them in bulk, and can't guarantee they'll get their money back on another shipment.
“They come and go so fast you know,” Sandoval said of trends such as this.
She said stylists at Salon Nouveau continue the practice because they buy their feathers individually from a woman who has a bulk amount of them. The rooster feathers are sold for fly-tying hackle.
“It's the same feathers they make the fishing lures out of, so it's hard to get them,” Lehnert said. “I think Leslie, the woman we get them from, was able to order them at a time when it wasn't in such high demand.”
Salons in Edwards, Avon and Vail are offering the feather extensions, some in bundles and some individually. Some clients keep the bundles together, while others pluck them apart and scatter them throughout their hair.
“It's a fun fad for now,” Lehnert said. (source)
Women are adorning their heads with plumage of their favorite colors, while men are wondering how their fishing hackles got caught in there. Feather hair extensions have followed an interesting path, and while the downy fad may be on its way out, a few stylists are betting on its survival.
The feathers are positioned by putting a bead over a strand of hair, placing the tips of the feathers in with the hair and snapping the bead flat with a pair of fliers. No glue is involved, and the ornament can be washed, curled, straightened — basically you can forget they're even in your hair. Just be careful while brushing.
“They can last up to three to six months, but it's not recommended,” said Michelle Lehnert of Salon Nouveau. “Because you have that gap … to where the bead is, it's easier to catch. You can have it repositioned so you don't have to take it out completely though.”
Salon Nouveau in Eagle-Vail began putting feather extensions in hair in February or March, said stylist Rachel Sandoval. Sandoval said a lot of clients came in to get one at first, but it has slowed down to a trickle now since the pieces stay in so long.
The feathers have slowly made their way across the nation. Steven Tyler sported some while he was an American Idol judge this spring, lending his celebrity stamp of approval to the trend.
“The way that it's traveling, it's here, West Coast, East Coast,” Lehnert said. “It's just now hitting Texas, my mom's a stylist there.”
Ijah Jaboolonfki said she started putting them in while living in Boulder two years ago.
“It just picked up here last season,” said Jaboolonfki, who moved to the Valley last year. The self-taught stylist offers feather extensions through Bangl'z in Avon and Spatique in Vail.
Some worry the trend will plummet soon, especially those investing money in it. Some stylists stopped offering the feathers because they order them in bulk, and can't guarantee they'll get their money back on another shipment.
“They come and go so fast you know,” Sandoval said of trends such as this.
She said stylists at Salon Nouveau continue the practice because they buy their feathers individually from a woman who has a bulk amount of them. The rooster feathers are sold for fly-tying hackle.
“It's the same feathers they make the fishing lures out of, so it's hard to get them,” Lehnert said. “I think Leslie, the woman we get them from, was able to order them at a time when it wasn't in such high demand.”
Salons in Edwards, Avon and Vail are offering the feather extensions, some in bundles and some individually. Some clients keep the bundles together, while others pluck them apart and scatter them throughout their hair.
“It's a fun fad for now,” Lehnert said. (source)
Inexpensive Feather Hair Extensions
Cheap feather hair extensions quickly have become the hair accessory of choice for high school girls and white collar women. These hair pieces, which can be securely clipped advisable for the office.
Feather exentsions for hair exclusively for the fashion industry-as seen on American Idol and in celebrity magazines. We service the feather extension trend globally with top quality feathers, large variety of colors both vibrant or nautral feather hair extensions wholesale and easy application tools.
These beautiful feathers can be treated like your natural hair extensions because they are natural. Wash, blow dry, flat iron, hair products, swimming--anything your hair can take so can the feathers. Young girls to baby boomers love feather extensions. They are fun, playful and an easy way to create texture and added visual intrest to hair.
These Feather Hair Extensions for sale were designed for easy application. The thin designed feathers flow beautifully in hair. This plume has a Kartin wax tip holding the feathers together for quick and easy application. Comes with one black and blond crimp bead. When applying choose the crimo bead that blends in most. They can be washed, curled, straightened, and blown dry.
Feather Mania True Blue consist of 5 feathers. Blue grizzly and solid color combined to make a unit. These are high quality Whiting feather. The-I tips have been with prepared with keratin protein to prevent fraying of the feathers and also to ensure an easy installation process. The feathers range from 8 -13 inches in length. Feathers hair extensions are natural and will vary in length and width. No two feathers are the same. These feathers can be shampooed and conditioned, blow dried and flat ironed together with your hair. Treat them with care just as you would with your hair. These feathers would last for months when properly treated.
The Feather Hair Extension sale was designed for easy application. The thin designed feathers flow beautifully in hair. They can be washed, curled, straightened, and blown dry. There is easy to follow instructions and all the right tools for application of the feather extensions wholesale . The feathers are real and very in length 3\”-12\”. There are six feathers all together. 1 Hot Pink, 2 Black Grizzly, 1Black. They last for months and you can un-crimp the bead with the crimper tweezers and pull the extensions up as your hair grows out. These are professional salon grade all colors will very in shade from feather to feather. The article resource from http://www.hairfeathersextensions.com/
Feather exentsions for hair exclusively for the fashion industry-as seen on American Idol and in celebrity magazines. We service the feather extension trend globally with top quality feathers, large variety of colors both vibrant or nautral feather hair extensions wholesale and easy application tools.
These beautiful feathers can be treated like your natural hair extensions because they are natural. Wash, blow dry, flat iron, hair products, swimming--anything your hair can take so can the feathers. Young girls to baby boomers love feather extensions. They are fun, playful and an easy way to create texture and added visual intrest to hair.
These Feather Hair Extensions for sale were designed for easy application. The thin designed feathers flow beautifully in hair. This plume has a Kartin wax tip holding the feathers together for quick and easy application. Comes with one black and blond crimp bead. When applying choose the crimo bead that blends in most. They can be washed, curled, straightened, and blown dry.
Feather Mania True Blue consist of 5 feathers. Blue grizzly and solid color combined to make a unit. These are high quality Whiting feather. The-I tips have been with prepared with keratin protein to prevent fraying of the feathers and also to ensure an easy installation process. The feathers range from 8 -13 inches in length. Feathers hair extensions are natural and will vary in length and width. No two feathers are the same. These feathers can be shampooed and conditioned, blow dried and flat ironed together with your hair. Treat them with care just as you would with your hair. These feathers would last for months when properly treated.
The Feather Hair Extension sale was designed for easy application. The thin designed feathers flow beautifully in hair. They can be washed, curled, straightened, and blown dry. There is easy to follow instructions and all the right tools for application of the feather extensions wholesale . The feathers are real and very in length 3\”-12\”. There are six feathers all together. 1 Hot Pink, 2 Black Grizzly, 1Black. They last for months and you can un-crimp the bead with the crimper tweezers and pull the extensions up as your hair grows out. These are professional salon grade all colors will very in shade from feather to feather. The article resource from http://www.hairfeathersextensions.com/
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Flocking To The Feather Hair Extensions
Jon Widboom, who runs a fly-fishing shop, never thought he would get calls from posh hair salons that line trendy Rodeo Drive in California's Beverly Hills.
But he does -- regularly.
"I get a daily call from a salon somewhere wanting feathers," said Widboom, who owns FlyMasters here.
And not just any feathers. They want the same ones that gained popularity this spring when "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler appeared on the Fox reality show with a mane accented by long feather hair extensions.
Feathers' popularity isn't the only thing increasing. So is the price.
Before the plume boom, a skin containing 400 to 500 rooster feathers would run $80 to $100. Earlier this week, bidding on eBay for a skin of Whiting Farm saddle feathers reached more than $500.
Why are they so special? Known as saddles, the feathers come from roosters bred specifically for the long plumes on their back side; the primary producer is Whiting Farms in Delta, Colo.
Fly-fishers prize Whiting saddles because they have a pliable center shaft and can be wound around fly-fishing lures. When
put in the hair as an extension, the often-colorful feathers can be styled just like hair and last for several weeks.
The trend originated in Colorado, where fly-fishing is popular, spread to California and is moving across the country.
Widboom and sales associates at Wildcat Creek Outfitters in Zionsville, Ind., and Orvis in Carmel, Ind., said they get calls daily from hairstylists across the country searching for saddle feathers.
Unaware of the budding trend, Widboom received his first call about the feathers in March from a fellow fly-fishing shop owner in Orlando, who was wondering if he had been selling a lot of Whiting saddle feathers.
"I said, 'We haven't heard anything,' " Widboom said. "Right after that, a lady walks in and asks, 'Do you have any feathers?' She bought $600 worth. She bought just about everything I had."
That customer was Jaime Zentz, who owns Geneva Hair Salon in Irvington, Ind.
"We are very fortunate," Zentz said, "and have a friend and client who visits Colorado regularly. She tipped us off to the trend."
Lindsey Springer Nierman, an instructor at Circle City Pilates in Indianapolis, likes the extensions' whimsical, summery look and has received compliments from her clients on the turquoise blue-and-tan feathers.
"I like that it's really low maintenance," she said. "You can straighten it and curl it, and it's not permanent."
Feather extensions cost $15 to $50. The feathers are bonded with an extension bead and clamped into hair. They last for six to eight weeks and easily are removed by a professional, adding temporary color to hair.
But the growing demand has quickly outstripped the supply. Because the roosters are euthanized at 18 months old to harvest their tail feathers, Whiting Farms and the handful of other producers haven't been able to increase the supply yet.
"Our feather company stopped returning our phone calls and our emails," Zentz said. "Their website shut down when the craze hit."
Not everyone is as thrilled with the fad. Animal-rights activists have started to condemn the trend because the roosters are killed for their tail feathers.
And fly-fishing enthusiasts are complaining about the dwindling supply and increasing cost of the feathers they use to make lures.
Mike Exl, store manager of Wildcat Creek Outfitters, said he gets about three calls a day from hairstylists across the country searching for saddle feathers. He doesn't turn down their requests, but he's talked to other shop owners who hide their stock of saddle feathers behind the counter -- reserving it for fly-fishermen.
"I'm hoping it will definitely be a fad," Exl said. "Our main goal is serving the fly-fishing customer. When we have a loyal customer and he can't get what he wants, it's frustrating."
But he does -- regularly.
"I get a daily call from a salon somewhere wanting feathers," said Widboom, who owns FlyMasters here.
And not just any feathers. They want the same ones that gained popularity this spring when "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler appeared on the Fox reality show with a mane accented by long feather hair extensions.
Feathers' popularity isn't the only thing increasing. So is the price.
Before the plume boom, a skin containing 400 to 500 rooster feathers would run $80 to $100. Earlier this week, bidding on eBay for a skin of Whiting Farm saddle feathers reached more than $500.
Why are they so special? Known as saddles, the feathers come from roosters bred specifically for the long plumes on their back side; the primary producer is Whiting Farms in Delta, Colo.
Fly-fishers prize Whiting saddles because they have a pliable center shaft and can be wound around fly-fishing lures. When
put in the hair as an extension, the often-colorful feathers can be styled just like hair and last for several weeks.
The trend originated in Colorado, where fly-fishing is popular, spread to California and is moving across the country.
Widboom and sales associates at Wildcat Creek Outfitters in Zionsville, Ind., and Orvis in Carmel, Ind., said they get calls daily from hairstylists across the country searching for saddle feathers.
Unaware of the budding trend, Widboom received his first call about the feathers in March from a fellow fly-fishing shop owner in Orlando, who was wondering if he had been selling a lot of Whiting saddle feathers.
"I said, 'We haven't heard anything,' " Widboom said. "Right after that, a lady walks in and asks, 'Do you have any feathers?' She bought $600 worth. She bought just about everything I had."
That customer was Jaime Zentz, who owns Geneva Hair Salon in Irvington, Ind.
"We are very fortunate," Zentz said, "and have a friend and client who visits Colorado regularly. She tipped us off to the trend."
Lindsey Springer Nierman, an instructor at Circle City Pilates in Indianapolis, likes the extensions' whimsical, summery look and has received compliments from her clients on the turquoise blue-and-tan feathers.
"I like that it's really low maintenance," she said. "You can straighten it and curl it, and it's not permanent."
Feather extensions cost $15 to $50. The feathers are bonded with an extension bead and clamped into hair. They last for six to eight weeks and easily are removed by a professional, adding temporary color to hair.
But the growing demand has quickly outstripped the supply. Because the roosters are euthanized at 18 months old to harvest their tail feathers, Whiting Farms and the handful of other producers haven't been able to increase the supply yet.
"Our feather company stopped returning our phone calls and our emails," Zentz said. "Their website shut down when the craze hit."
Not everyone is as thrilled with the fad. Animal-rights activists have started to condemn the trend because the roosters are killed for their tail feathers.
And fly-fishing enthusiasts are complaining about the dwindling supply and increasing cost of the feathers they use to make lures.
Mike Exl, store manager of Wildcat Creek Outfitters, said he gets about three calls a day from hairstylists across the country searching for saddle feathers. He doesn't turn down their requests, but he's talked to other shop owners who hide their stock of saddle feathers behind the counter -- reserving it for fly-fishermen.
"I'm hoping it will definitely be a fad," Exl said. "Our main goal is serving the fly-fishing customer. When we have a loyal customer and he can't get what he wants, it's frustrating."
Monday, June 20, 2011
Feather Hair Extensions Show No Compassion
Feather hair extensions are roosting upon manes across the nation. A trend popularized by celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, adding plumage to one’s coiffure is now such a coveted fashion statement that one internet company even sells feather extensions for dogs. But, where do these lovely feathers come from? Before feathering your own locks (or your dog’s!), please consider the thousands of innocent lives which are taken to produce these plumes.
If you know fly fishing paraphernalia, and thought that these silky bits in people’s’ hair seemed strangely familiar… well, you’re onto something. The feathers used for hair extensions, are the same ones used by fly fisherman as lures, and feather-craving fashionistas everywhere are now snatching them up at hundreds of dollars above the market price. According to an article on Bloomberg Businessweek, “A package of the most popular fly tying hackle for feather hair extensions, a black and white striped feather called grizzly saddle, would normally retail anywhere from $40 to $60. It sold for $480 on eBay last month after 31 bids.” At the most, these feather hair extensions can be worn for three months.
Thousands of beautiful roosters lose their lives every week due to the increased demand for feather hair extensnions.
Thousands of beautiful roosters are killed every week due to the increased demand for feather hair extensions.
So, why pay so much for these feathers? Well, the roosters in question have been specifically bred to produce unnaturally long and strikingly beautiful saddle feathers (the ones on the bird’s backside), which are considered more desirable for fly fishing — and now, for fashion. Naturally, this price inflation has become a major annoyance to fly fishermen, but whether for bait or coiffure accessorizing, to take the lives of sentient beings for such fleeting and trivial purposes is troubling in itself.
Whiting Farms in western Colorado is the world’s largest producer of fly tying feathers. There, the roosters are given only a year to live while their saddle feathers grow as long as possible. (Research varies, but when they aren’t killed for their plumage, roosters can naturally live to be 10-15 years old.) Once the feathers are deemed satisfactory, the rooster is slaughtered, and his feathers plucked. His lifeless body is then thrown out for compost; Thomas Whiting, the company founder (via the Orange County Register), claims that, ”They aren’t good for anything else.” The Whiting Farms website boasts that “over 125,000 total birds (were) harvested in 2000.” According to the Orange County Register article, Whiting Farms now ships out 65,000 bird hides per week as it tries to meet the aggressive demands of salon owners and stylists, as well as its classic fly fishing clientele. Needless to say, that is quite a haunting increase in rooster death… all for a faddish, temporary hair accessory, produced in a manner that screams disconnect.
As “supply” (here, meaning animal slaughter) levels respond to demand, it is within our collective power as consumers to dictate what is worth buying. Do you want to feed your money and image into this bloody phenomenon? Fashion trends come and go, but compassion is always cool. (source)
If you know fly fishing paraphernalia, and thought that these silky bits in people’s’ hair seemed strangely familiar… well, you’re onto something. The feathers used for hair extensions, are the same ones used by fly fisherman as lures, and feather-craving fashionistas everywhere are now snatching them up at hundreds of dollars above the market price. According to an article on Bloomberg Businessweek, “A package of the most popular fly tying hackle for feather hair extensions, a black and white striped feather called grizzly saddle, would normally retail anywhere from $40 to $60. It sold for $480 on eBay last month after 31 bids.” At the most, these feather hair extensions can be worn for three months.
Thousands of beautiful roosters lose their lives every week due to the increased demand for feather hair extensnions.
Thousands of beautiful roosters are killed every week due to the increased demand for feather hair extensions.
So, why pay so much for these feathers? Well, the roosters in question have been specifically bred to produce unnaturally long and strikingly beautiful saddle feathers (the ones on the bird’s backside), which are considered more desirable for fly fishing — and now, for fashion. Naturally, this price inflation has become a major annoyance to fly fishermen, but whether for bait or coiffure accessorizing, to take the lives of sentient beings for such fleeting and trivial purposes is troubling in itself.
Whiting Farms in western Colorado is the world’s largest producer of fly tying feathers. There, the roosters are given only a year to live while their saddle feathers grow as long as possible. (Research varies, but when they aren’t killed for their plumage, roosters can naturally live to be 10-15 years old.) Once the feathers are deemed satisfactory, the rooster is slaughtered, and his feathers plucked. His lifeless body is then thrown out for compost; Thomas Whiting, the company founder (via the Orange County Register), claims that, ”They aren’t good for anything else.” The Whiting Farms website boasts that “over 125,000 total birds (were) harvested in 2000.” According to the Orange County Register article, Whiting Farms now ships out 65,000 bird hides per week as it tries to meet the aggressive demands of salon owners and stylists, as well as its classic fly fishing clientele. Needless to say, that is quite a haunting increase in rooster death… all for a faddish, temporary hair accessory, produced in a manner that screams disconnect.
As “supply” (here, meaning animal slaughter) levels respond to demand, it is within our collective power as consumers to dictate what is worth buying. Do you want to feed your money and image into this bloody phenomenon? Fashion trends come and go, but compassion is always cool. (source)
Friday, June 17, 2011
Feather Hair Extension Fad Popular in Knoxville
You wouldn't think fishermen and hairstylists have a lot to fight about, but that's not the case. A material both of them need is coming up short.
Nearly 100 clients are coming in per month at Belleza Salon in Turkey Creek asking for feather hair extensions.
"We looked into it, and we ordered a few just to see how the clients would react to it and it took off," said E. C. Crippen, a hair stylist at Belleza. "It's the hottest thing right now, absolutely."
But people who want hair feathers are buying up the supply fishermen use.
"I mean, they just buy them all. They buy everything in sight. Our shelves are empty," said Dave Carson, a fisherman and employee at Orvis in Sevierville.
"There's a lot of fishermen that are not happy because we use these feathers to make flies. There are some fishermen that are upset because they figure what it will do is raise the price when they come back," Carson said.
The average price for a package of rooster feathers goes for about $25 at tackle shops, but for just one feather at the salon, it's $15.
Prices aside, the rooster feathers will not be available for a year. That's how long it takes for manufactures to restock.
"Their roosters are too young to be able to harvest to get the necks," Carson said.
For some people, it's fashion. For others, it's sport.
For now, Carson is hanging on to all the feathers he can. "My daughter is a hairdresser, and I have to hide my feathers from her. She doesn't know where I keep them," he said.
Right now, the fly fishing store Orvis is still receiving daily shipments of feathers, but the store is bracing for bare shelves in the coming months.
Nearly 100 clients are coming in per month at Belleza Salon in Turkey Creek asking for feather hair extensions.
"We looked into it, and we ordered a few just to see how the clients would react to it and it took off," said E. C. Crippen, a hair stylist at Belleza. "It's the hottest thing right now, absolutely."
But people who want hair feathers are buying up the supply fishermen use.
"I mean, they just buy them all. They buy everything in sight. Our shelves are empty," said Dave Carson, a fisherman and employee at Orvis in Sevierville.
"There's a lot of fishermen that are not happy because we use these feathers to make flies. There are some fishermen that are upset because they figure what it will do is raise the price when they come back," Carson said.
The average price for a package of rooster feathers goes for about $25 at tackle shops, but for just one feather at the salon, it's $15.
Prices aside, the rooster feathers will not be available for a year. That's how long it takes for manufactures to restock.
"Their roosters are too young to be able to harvest to get the necks," Carson said.
For some people, it's fashion. For others, it's sport.
For now, Carson is hanging on to all the feathers he can. "My daughter is a hairdresser, and I have to hide my feathers from her. She doesn't know where I keep them," he said.
Right now, the fly fishing store Orvis is still receiving daily shipments of feathers, but the store is bracing for bare shelves in the coming months.
Feather Hair Extensions Hit Knoxville
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)