Layering up in wool in Wonderland, Rollacoaster and Man About Town.
Layering up in wool in Wonderland, Rollacoaster and Man About Town. from Campaign for Wool on Vimeo.
Collaborating with Visual talent for Autumn Winter 2019 to create a series of images that portray wool at its best. Showing wool’s versatility, for layering, for protection, for timeless longevity whilst conveying wool’s natural attributes that were captured so well in the text used by Wonderland, Rollacoaster and Man About Town.
“We’ve all seen the horrifying videos of the Great Pacific garbage patch — an unthinkable body of plastic accumulated in our oceans — shared on social media and TV, but what many often don’t realise is that pollution doesn’t end at hard plastics. Fashion (sorry guys) is the second most polluting industry in the world, so we need to be more conscious with our choices. Man-made fibres like acrylic, nylon, polyester and polypropylene are all synthetic and release microfibres whenever they’re washed, entering our ecosystem, water and eventually, into our food.
As versatile as the materials we’re showing here — from luxurious lightweight Merino, to hardy British wools — wool is a sustainable choice to ensure we leave the planet liveable for the next generation. 100% natural, wool is a renewable source of fibre that’s biodegradable and even releases useful nitrogen-based ingredients into the soil and sea. We’ve worn wool since the Stone Age, so it’s been in fashion even longer than caring about the environment.
Wool Week 2019, backed by the Campaign for Wool, is asking us to “Make a Difference — Choose Wool”.”
“At some point this year, you’ve probably been on the receiving end of some judgy side-eye for grabbing a plastic bag in the supermarket, or picking up a disposable coffee cup on the daily. Maybe you’ve served that judgy side-eye yourself. But what most of us don’t realise, is that man-made fibres like nylon, acrylic and polyester – in other words, most of what makes up our wardrobes – have a pretty damaging impact on our ecosystems, just as much as hard plastics.
Allow us to introduce you to The Campaign For Wool: a worldwide, cross-industry initiative launched in 2010, that promotes the extensive benefits of wool as a renewable, high-performance, biodegradable, planet-friendly fibre. Yep, wool. A quick education: the fibre biodegrades in the land and ocean quickly, dispersing nutrients back into the soil and water in the process. Practically, it’s highly durable and versatile, with heat- regulation properties that keep us both warm or cool all year-round, year after year, in turn allowing us to dial our thermostats down. In other words, it’s one of the most energy-saving, anti-fast fashion options out there.
We’re not just talking fleeces and cable-knit jumpers. From activewear to underwear, light jackets and base layers, there’s a whole range of brands out there making just about anything you can think of from wool (including, this year, a surfboard and a plaster. See?)
If it wasn’t already clear, we’re all out of excuses for not taking responsibility for what we consume, dump and throw back into nature, and more than ever, this includes what we choose to wear. In the Campaign’s own words: choose wool.”
“As the eco era begins around the world, it is becoming increasingly unnecessary to harm our planet through consumption. Things like plastic wrapping and disposable water-bottles – once staple products in our daily lives – are being made redundant by alternative options, and this is by no means reserved for the food and drink market. Fashion, too, is having its eco-revolution. The ominous realisation that man-made fibres like nylon, acrylic and polyester – materials that make up the bulk of many people’s wardrobes – are having just as catastrophic an impact on our ecosystems as hard plastics, is catalysing a change throughout the fashion industry, a message that the Campaign For Wool has conveyed for the last 10 years.
The Campaign For Wool is a worldwide, cross-industry initiative launched in 2010, with a focus on promoting the extensive benefits of wool as a renewable, high-performance, biodegradable, planet-friendly fibre. Essentially, the fibre quickly biodegrades in both land and ocean, re-dispersing nutrients back into the soil and water in the process. Practically, it’s the antithesis of fast fashion. Highly durable and versatile, with heat- regulation properties that keep us both warm or cool all year-round, year after year, in turn allowing us to dial our thermostats down. In other words, it’s one of the most energy-saving, sustainable options in the industry right now.
Importantly, despite some groundbreaking wool innovations, heritage is not forgotten here either. Fisherman knits can be ‘read’ through the knit stitches and structure, linking them to a family name and location. The coats are high-fashion winter staples, paying a tasteful homage to military styling while maintaining their dedication to coziness, layering and softness, cocooning without weight. And it’s not just coats and cable-knit jumpers. From activewear to underwear, light jackets and base layers, there’s a whole range of brands out there making just about anything you can think of from wool, this year’s most innovative and groundbreaking creation coming in the form of a surfboard and chairs.
As the tide of sustainability gains momentum, there’s really no excuse for not taking responsibility for what we consume, dump and throw back into nature, and more than ever, this includes what we choose to wear. The answer is simple. To borrow the language of the campaign: choose wool.”
With thanks to the Campaign for Wool Supporter who participated:
Abraham Moon & Sons, Anderson & Sheppard, Arket, Bella Freud, Belstaff, Brora, Celtic & Co, Core Merino, Cos, DAKS, E Tautz, Finisterre, Grenfell, Hackett, Hardvark, Harris Tweed Hebrides, Hobbs, Jaeger, John Smedley, Johnstons of Elgin, Kent & Curwen, Lacoste, Laird, Mackintosh, Marks & Spencer, McNair, Moorswood, Pringle of Scotland, Raeburn Design, Rewoolution, Richard James, Smalls, Stone Island, Toast, Trickers, Vivienne Westwood, Walker Slater, Wool&Prince
Featured in Autumn/Winter Issues of Wonderland, Rollacoaster, Man About Town.
Credits:
Photography by BARTEK SZMIGULSKI
Film and Art Direction by JOE McCRAE
Fashion by KAMRAN RAJPUT
Hair Brady Lea at The Only Agency
Makeup Adrian Swiderski at Frank Agency
Models:
Nora Fonollà Vara at Tess Management
Thomas Morell at Elite Model Management