The global economy is an odd beast. Just take a look at this example from the intersection of pop fashion and the wood flooring industry.
Lambswool finish applicator makers are feeling the pinch for raw materials due to demand for lambskin-lined Ugg boots and their leagues of imitators.
Jacquie Goldstein of U.S. Lambswool (Island Park, N.Y.) says the price for lambswool applicators will undoubtedly rise as tanners sell their product to the highest bidder-and right now lambskin boot manufacturers control the market.
"Because the Ugg people are buying all the skins, tanners, whether they're in China or Australia, are selling to the person that wants the skins the most," Goldstein explained. "It's an international commodity. The prices have gone crazy because of Ugg boots."
Still, it's still too early to tell how much prices will increase. "One of the largest tanners in the world told me a price that would only be good for three to five months-what good is that?" she said. "It's a very tough place to be in now. Who would have ever thought this?"
It's not the first time global sourcing has been a problem for Goldstein. Throughout much of 2005 she was unable to source wooden blocks from Indonesia after a tsunami devastated the country. "Years ago," she said, "the industry wasn't like this; all of your supplies came from your backyard. But it is truly now a global economy."
Despite the pricing problems Uggs have caused, Goldstein lauds the impact they've made in the fashion world. "I give [Ugg makers] a lot of credit for reinventing the boot," she said. "Who would have ever thought that high school girls would be wearing shorts with boots?"
Photo credit: Malingering, via Flickr.
