Did you know that the word “MANUFACTURE” derives from the latin manu factum which literally translates to made by hand . I know how special it is to choose a piece of our jewelry to adorn yourself with knowing how the furs were harvested and that the humans who are involved in the production process are respected and valued, and compensation is always given. We know we can’t be everything we aspire to without a team of folks who share our vision for Wild Yukon Furs, the Yukon’s fur industry, and for locally made goods employing great people. For us, this is why we will remain a company committed to working in small batch as outlined below. Some of the things I talk about in the ten points listed are from a more internal business perspective but as an informed and discerning consumer, I know these things matter to you. I hope you find this list informative and enlightening. If you have any questions about what I outline below or want to talk about this more, please feel free to send an email using the contact form on the website. Thank you for being here and I hope you learn something.

What does Small Batch look like for the V. Aegirsdottir brand and for Wild Yukon Furs by V. Aegirsdottir?

1. Small batch describes the quantities of goods being produced at one time. In the manufacturing industry, this threshold is typically capped at 500 units. In our case, we commonly make a maximum of 20 items in any given production run.
2. Small batch production creates much less waste than traditional manufacturing (mass production) which, in the context of the fashion industry is a well known source of pollution. By creating small numbers of a single style allows for better controls of waste. For us, using natural materials like wild animal furs, we’re especially careful of treating each hide with the utmost respect and to avoid waste is an easy way of doing that.
3. Working in small batches allows us to produce new and replenished styles very quickly. Because we’re making so few pieces in any given production run, we can put those styles into our inventory, on the shelves of the store and the virtual shelves of the web store.
4. Small batch productions keeps us nimble. If we are in the middle of a short run of 20 units of a pair of earrings but another pendant has sold out, we’re able to quickly respond to that inventory shortage by putting that sold out style straight into production.
5. Working in small batches allows us to make informed decisions based on customer feedback. If the clasp on a necklace is difficult to use or an earring back is regularly falling off, we’re able to respond to that feedback by making changes to our designs. If we were producing in the hundreds or thousands, we would be stuck with the burden flawed inventory and be forced to discount or worse, discard those products.
6. It’s great for our mental health as a small manufacturer working with individual makers to be able to complete production runs. Because we make our products by hand, if we had thousands or even hundreds to produce of any given style, we’d likely be going crazy before fulfilling those production runs. This kind of short production run allows us to change things up and stay engaged with the styles being made.
7. Disruptions in the supply chain (a very real problem right now) are felt more dramatically with larger production runs. By producing our goods in smaller numbers puts us in the position to redirect our time, attention, and investment into goods that can be market-ready more swiftly. Large production runs with supply disruptions tie up both capital and future revenue which is something we always try to avoid.
8. For you, as our customer, one of the most exciting benefits of us creating in small batches is that you get to see new work way more often. Small batch production allows me as the artist to fit in micro collections in between regular production which I know you love as much as I do.
9. Speaking of micro collections, this is still small batch production and working this way allows us to test new ideas and collect data about the response to those new designs. Working in small numbers gives us immediate access to information about the popularity of new styles allowing us to integrate them into our longer-term lineup.
10. By working in small batches, we’re able to scale our company to include a team of individual makers. This means that no matter what piece of jewelry or textile work you purchase, a human being is making every stitch and threading every bead and they’re being paid handsomely to do so. One of our core values is “respect” and by working this way allows us to integrate respect into every step of production.

It's no accident that we work the way that we do. We honour every person on our team and every piece of fur, copper, and leather. It is a privilege to work with these things and we keep that front of mind in our operations. Thank you for taking the time to read about this part of our company. It's an honour to share these things with you.