Broms Fights to Keep Furs Fashionable
By: Sophie Nielsen-Kolding WMBD/WYZZ-TV
Updated: January 10, 2013
PEORIA- You might not think that fur is still a popular material, but Broms Furs in Peoria's Metro Centre say's last year was one of it's best yet.
"I'm a true furrier," said Jeff Broms, owner of Broms Furs and Fashions.
Furs from beavers, minks, lambs and other animals fill the store waiting for customers to come in.
"Fur hats, fur gloves, you know, fur purses, the handbags. All the fur stuff, fur throws. Anything to do with fur," Broms said.
Broms said he's the only true fur salon in a 150 mile radius, and that he has customers coming to him from five different states. That's because more people are leaving the fur business than coming into it.
"It's a craft and it's not like there's a school you can go to. You have to actually learn from somebody and study. And then the fact is you have to have the passion for it," he said.
Broms learned from his father, who's picture hangs proudly in the store. His father started the store 68 years ago, and Broms believes fur is in their blood.
"I literally was brought up in the business. My father used to bring me down to the shop on fulton street when I was 4-years-old. I was hammering out skins, any little boy likes a hammer and nails."
And Broms still does the handy work himself. Behind the store is a workshop where he fixes tears and adjusts coats to fit customers who might have eaten too much good holiday food.
Behind that is a storage place where customers coats and inventory sit in a temperature controlled room.
Broms said he would like more storage space, because he said he's doing so well. Broms has fur coats in different colors, styles and lengths. He said getting creative has helped him along the way.
Broms even makes coats with the fur on the inside for people who want quality, but maybe not the attention a fur coat can bring. And it's not just old ladies who come through his doors.
"It's the 20 to 30 year olds that are driving the fashion industry and of course, the fur industry because fur is environmentally friendly," Broms said.
Broms said the industry has changed. He said none of his furs come from animals that have been trapped, that the animals are treated well, and that fur is biodegradable.
But there might be a reason Broms' customers are 35 years and older; fur coats cost anywhere from $1,000 to $100,000.
"I'm a true furrier," said Jeff Broms, owner of Broms Furs and Fashions.
Furs from beavers, minks, lambs and other animals fill the store waiting for customers to come in.
"Fur hats, fur gloves, you know, fur purses, the handbags. All the fur stuff, fur throws. Anything to do with fur," Broms said.
Broms said he's the only true fur salon in a 150 mile radius, and that he has customers coming to him from five different states. That's because more people are leaving the fur business than coming into it.
"It's a craft and it's not like there's a school you can go to. You have to actually learn from somebody and study. And then the fact is you have to have the passion for it," he said.
Broms learned from his father, who's picture hangs proudly in the store. His father started the store 68 years ago, and Broms believes fur is in their blood.
"I literally was brought up in the business. My father used to bring me down to the shop on fulton street when I was 4-years-old. I was hammering out skins, any little boy likes a hammer and nails."
And Broms still does the handy work himself. Behind the store is a workshop where he fixes tears and adjusts coats to fit customers who might have eaten too much good holiday food.
Behind that is a storage place where customers coats and inventory sit in a temperature controlled room.
Broms said he would like more storage space, because he said he's doing so well. Broms has fur coats in different colors, styles and lengths. He said getting creative has helped him along the way.
Broms even makes coats with the fur on the inside for people who want quality, but maybe not the attention a fur coat can bring. And it's not just old ladies who come through his doors.
"It's the 20 to 30 year olds that are driving the fashion industry and of course, the fur industry because fur is environmentally friendly," Broms said.
Broms said the industry has changed. He said none of his furs come from animals that have been trapped, that the animals are treated well, and that fur is biodegradable.
But there might be a reason Broms' customers are 35 years and older; fur coats cost anywhere from $1,000 to $100,000.
