SA designers love wool

PROMOTION

With the cooler weather around the corner, many of us are looking for fibres to keep us warm. Look no further since wool is on trend, eco-friendly and proudly South African.

As technology reinvents itself daily, we are all seeking more tactile living environments. This is a strong theme throughout the Autumn VISI 65 edition and Li Edelkoort also highlighted it in her recent trend talks at Design Indaba. As lifestyle yearns to go back to basics, a renewed appreciation of natural materials and hand-made products is surfacing.

Epitomising this trend is the increased use of wool in homeware, fabrics, furniture and clothing. Some of South Africa’s top designers are choosing to work with wool because of its unique properties, eco-friendliness and local supply.

Living in the charming little village of Nieu Bethesda, Judi Sheard from Karoo Moon wanted to unleash her creativity using a locally-sourced product that also helped support the local community. Using a local dedicated team of spinners, Karoo Moon has perfected a 100% wool in fine single-ply, which allows Judi to create her stunning garments.

“Hand spun wool creates the ultimate natural garment that is soft and light, absorbs moisture, and regulates body temperature in both summer and winter. It’s also very versatile, so I love seeing how I can incorporate wool into unusual design ideas to showcase it in new ways,” Judy explains.

Based in Cape Town, Bridget Henderson from Cowgirl Blues also employs a team of local skilled women who touch, hold, soften and coax the materials used to create Cowgirl Blues’s unique knitwear, accessories and decor pieces into their final forms. “Wool retains the memory of the hands that work it and the body that wears it. You can feel the difference in the final product. It’s a very personal fibre,” Bridget enthuses.

After 26 years as a textile designer, the desire to use more natural and eco-friendly materials inspired Ronel Jordaan to start researching the possibilities of using felt as a creative medium in 2003. “I like to work with wool for its tactility and because it’s purely organic – all processes employed in my workshop are eco-friendly, and Merino wool items actually absorb carbon dioxide from the air.” By coaxing threads of pure wool into shapes from nature that inspire her, Ronel’s creations are globally recognised for their distinct originality.

With the cooler weather around the corner, many of us are looking for fibres to keep us warm. One of wool’s excellent properties is that it adapts to the body’s temperature, lets air through, and absorbs and releases moisture into the surrounding environment. This makes it an excellent fibre for use in both cool and warm weather, and means it is ideal for use in bedding. “No other fibre, natural or manmade, can match wool’s unique properties. Snuggle under a duvet filled with pure wool and you’ll see it’s the perfect sleeping partner,” says Matthew van Lingen of Sneeuberg, which specialises in wool bedding.

The International Campaign for Wool and Cape Wools SA is holding the first annual celebration of the South African wool industry and all the benefits of wool as a material during a week of wool promotion at Sandton City from 28 May to 3 June 2013. Cape Wools will also exhibit various Merino wool products and wool information on Mandela Square on Saturday 1 June, so make sure you drop in to find out why you should be surrounded by this exquisite natural fibre.

For more info, contact Cape Wools 082 870 6497, merino@capewools.co.za, www.capewools.co.za

Sneeuberg 049 842 1829, sales@sneeuberg.co.za

Karoo Moon 082 781 6882, judi@wam.co.za

Cowgirlblues 083 445 1150, bridget@cowgirlblues.co.za

Ronel Jordaan 011 791 0915, ronel@roneljordan.co.za