I was browsing news articles online, when I came across this story about a businesswoman from Tampa who is using groomed dog hair to make purses. Doris Carvalho said that it takes about 50 hours to make a single purse, and she is selling it at $1000 each.
I think that this is a really crazy yet unique idea. I mean, for those who love their pets so much, I guess that they can get a permanent reminder of that love by buying a purse made out of the fur of their pets. However, the dogs should have long fur.
Here's a sample.
Read more about this fashion statement here and here.
Actually, that is a beautiful purse ! Since it is made with hair that the dog is shedding anyway, or that comes out when they are being groomed, it is not something that would harm the dog in any way at all.
I remember going through a museum once and seeing small items that were crocheted out of human hair, and this would not be a whole lot different than that.
From the looks of the purse, it looks like she actually spins the fur into worsted yarn before she then knits the purse.
This would be a lengthy process from start to finish. She would have to first clean the fur, then spin it into a soft yarn, dye it if it were going to be a colored purse, and then knit and decorate it.
I think that I would not want to spend that much money on any purse, no matter what it was made of, but it looks to me like she is not being unreasonable to charge that much money.