4 May 2010
Beautiful Fül

The trendy and up-and-coming brand Beautiful Fuel recently presented its 2010 Fall/winter Collection called “The Last Man”.

Apart from the fabulous photography taken for the Lookbook, we were of course enthralled to see the amount of wool incorporated into the collection.  Motorcycle gangs of the 60’s and 70’s inspired the collection.  So it is inevitable that most of the pieces are black with the depth and texture of the fabrics used bringing an interesting three-dimensional aspect to the pieces.  It is no surprise then that Melton wool was used for many of the jackets in combination with leather creating a strong contrast between the two surface areas.  The pieces truly are unique.  For further information on the collection, please visit: www.beautifulful.com

East Anglian Game and Country Fair, Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th April 2010

After a severely snowy winter, spring has well and truly arrived. My wholesome stash of Easter eggs has been reduced to a small pile of tin foil and the sunshine has returned to Britain’s skies once again, despite an Icelandic volcano’s best efforts to deprive us of such luxuries!

This new time of year signals the beginning of the country fair season, and The Wool Room will be out in full force! Our first outing will be at this weekend’s East Anglian Game and Country Fair in Norwich where there will be a huge variety of events and exhibitions ranging from cookery and shooting to sheep shearing and horse whispering, over 300 tradestands (where we will be), a craft hall and food halls. For more information visit www.ukgamefair.co.uk where you will find everything you need to know about the weekend, including a full list of events and exhibitions.

If you’re dreading the hot, sleepless nights that summer can bring then you probably haven’t tried sleeping with wool bedding! The fibre’s unique qualities mean that it can keep you cool despite the high temperature of the atmosphere around you, and works the other way round in winter by keeping you warm when it’s cold. Sleep wool, sleep well!

8th April 2010
Wake up after a good wool night's sleep with Dorset Cereals!

As long-time admirers of Dorset Cereals and their ludicrously tasty cereal range, we were only too happy to say ‘yes’ when they asked us to provide the prizes for their Spin to Win online competition! Each week brings a new prize, so if you want the chance to win one of our fantastic wool bedding sets then make sure you enter before lunchtime on Wednesday 14th April! Visit www.dorsetcereals.co.uk to enter for free!

Our snowy winter may have come to an end, but just because it’s getting towards summer doesn’t mean that you can’t have a wool duvet to sleep under. Despite being very good for keeping you cosy during the cold winter months, the unique properties of wool mean that wool bedding can also help keep you cool during a hot summer, making it perfect to use throughout the year. You can’t rely on British weather, but you can rely on a wool duvet from The Wool Room.

6th April 2010
Sleep with Goldilocks

Robert Kirk of Cleveland College of Art & Design has helped us to create a 'viral' ad for thewoolroom.com. We have four - chosen from the 10 very different briefs that the students submitted. The second year film students all worked together to supply us with 4 very different interpretations. Watch this space for more and let us know what you think!

6th April 2010
The Functionality - Feel It, Take It

This amazing installation reminds us once again how versatile wool can be.  A magnificent felt-chandelier comprising 140 wool-felt scarves creates a breathtaking shell-like wool finished ceiling.  Not only is this sustainable art in its best form, it also transforms into something very personal for the observer.  At the end of the party for which it was especially installed, each visitor got to take home one of the scarves making up the beautiful work. As the artists themselves say “This installation integrates a ceiling system with a method for distributing elements of thermal comfort. When the installation ends, we want the material we used to avoid the landfill and to find its way into the lives and onto the bodies of people walking on streets, riding on subways, hailing cabs. Can we design multiple purposes into one system?  When it's cold, everyone needs a scarf when there's no roof overhead."  Thus the title of the work 'Feel it, Take It'.

The design collective 'The Functionality' describes itself as a 'multidisciplinary design collective that explores issues of technology, culture and economic, through considered research and textile experimentation.'  The artists Tom Beresford, Roy F. Griffith, Colin A. Harris, Andrew Lyon, William Trossell, and Nicholas Wood who make up the collective, all strongly believe that what they do is their passion and that as engineers, designers and artists what they make matters.  For them it is all about the experience they have through collaboration and innovation that allows them to learn and live their passion, which they insist, is not just a hobby.

23rd March 2010
ALYSSA WOOD

Alyssa is a young designer or rather an artist; originally from Taejon Korea now residing in Brooklyn, NY.  She studies knitwear at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Polimoda in Italy and Central St. Martins in London.

Her work is immensely creative and after building her reputation in the industry Alyssa continues to work as an artist in the fashion industry.  To see more of her work, please visit: http://alyssawood.com

22nd March 2010
WOOL AND THE GANG

Perhaps you remember some time back we blogged about the fabulous “Wool and the Gang” website.  Well, we have been following it closely and it has some wonderful new products online at the moment.

The concept of the site started when two young girls were reminded of how important it is to transmit the art of craft from one generation to the next. For them it is the passion for knitting and the love for creating something yourself.  So, on this website you can buy knitting kits to create your own beautiful wool products out of top quality wool produced deep in the heart of the Peru’s Andean Highlands.  You can also buy ready-to-wear products if you are too impatient to knit yourself.  Although, various podcasts and guidelines with good explanations and diagrams are quite easy to follow if you need convincing to get started again. With various podcasts and images and guidelines you might just become addicted!! Visit www.woolandthegang.com for their latest funky designs.

12th March 2010
Natural Gas Commercial

This is how to market wool! 

The story is simple, visualize the warmth of natural gas by wool. A month of preparation, 4 days and night shoot, with a professional crew of over 40 men, shot live and in stopmotion with 4 different cameras. A film of TBWA Brussels, directed by Olivier Babinet produced by Lovo Films. 03 March 2010 

7 March 2010
PAOLO PECORA

If you are looking for beautiful wool knits then Paolo Pecora is a brand definitely worth paying some attention to.  The design and quality is beautiful.

The brand takes its name from its founder Mr Paolo Pecora himself who was born in Milano in 1961 and created the brand after several years in visual merchandising.

It was 1984 when he decided to take the big step of starting up his own brand, which started with womenswear and quickly proved a success. In 1990 Poalo decided to further his brand and started with menswear. To see more about the brand and the collection please visit: www.Paolopecoramilano.com.  They exhibit their collection at Pitti Uomo Florence each season.

1 March 2010
Charlotte Sehmisch

“Wool to me is the most exciting material to work with”.  These are the words of Charlotte Sehmisch, an inspiring young German designer.  She qualified as an architect in Weimar, Germany and later continued her studies in fashion design.  In 1998 she decided to set up her own business in designing, and today designs a wide range of products from hats through to dresses, which are also attainable via her website.

The area of her work, however which most caught our attention is her beautiful wall hangings.  These original pieces are created using one single piece of felt and with the help of soap and water she cleverly moulds three-dimensional landscapes.  The crevices create a play of shadows made more evident through the use of predominantly natural tones as her base colour.  The result is truly breathtaking since it is the medium that becomes of essence.

Charlotte Sehmisch has had numerous exhibitions throughout Europe and most recently won an award from IWTO (International Wool Trade Organisation – www.iwto.org – Sleep & Dream awards 2009) for her work in creating fo absolute sleeping comfort. Her project comprised of a bed constructed with wool felt and steam bent plywood. “The bed is set together like Lego building blocks, made up from the wooden frame, elliptic comb mattress, two felt fixtures as well as 16 wooden rods that complete the construction without any metal parts.”  The construction allows for all positive aspects of the wool fibre to come to the forefront, creating the perfect microclimate for the optimum sleeping experience.

For more about her work or contact details, please visit www.magarimagari.de

24th February 2010
B&M Felt

We are not the only ones mad about wool so you can imagine how pleased we were to find out that other wool lovers at B&M Felt discovered us and decided to mention us on their blog!

B&M Felt is an Australian company selling 100% German wool felt online.  They sell by the linear metre and you can browse their catalogue for a wide range of Pantone matched colours.  They sell small quantities for home designers but are also able to cater larger industrial quantities if need be.  Furthermore, you can purchase some of their fabulous finished products www.bugandmegs.com

Please visit www.bandmfelt.com.au for more on the wonderful world of wool.

22nd February 2010
Wool Walls?

David Rockwell has come up with this wonderful wallpaper design for Maya Romanoff.  Made of wool and a design that which is reminiscent of men’s suiting this wall covering inspires warmth and comfort and is perfect to cozy-up any room,while remaining elegant with its embroidered contrast stitching.

15th February 2010
Good Tailoring Needs Wool

Good tailoring is a truly an art and in case you thought it was something of the past, think again because in the heart of Brooklyn Martin Greenfield proves that there still is a demand for beautifully made suits.  For us in the wool industry this makes us extremely happy since more often than not well made suits require wool fabric to give them their perfect appeal.
The Company Martin Greenfield Clothiers was founded in 1977 by Martin Greenfield when he bought the current factory from his former employer, GGG Clothes. Mr. Greenfield quickly rose to becoming President of production after originally joining the company as a “floor boy”.  The company now focuses on made-to-order, made-to-measure, tuxedos, sport jackets and overcoats.  The company is run by Mr. Greenfield and his two sons who joined him in the 80’s.

In an interview with Mr. Greenfield (via. www.selby.com) , he makes very clear that a good suit comes down to good quality in all aspects of the production pipeline, which includes the choice of the fabric.  That’s why we say you can never go wrong with wool because wool is wonderful!

To read more about the company, please visit their website at: www.greenfieldclothiers.com
 

Source: selby.com

12th February 2010
Wrist Worms

These delightful wrist warmers are the perfect accessory for these cold winter days. We all know what it feels like to be all wrapped up and yet still have that most annoying and uncomfortable feeling of cold air rushing up your (what you thought was warm) jacket.  With the help of these little wrist worms (we love the name) you can change just that.  Not only do they fit neatly around your pulse, they are also made of 100% merino, which once again proves that wool makes your life wonderful.
Sandra Juto is the Swedish designer of these little “lifesavers” and she sell them on her online shop at:   http://www.wristworms.com/about.html.  Please have a peak at her range of beautiful colours.

3 February 2010
Patagonia
 

If you are the sporting type and looking for good sporting gear that gives you the performance you need, you should take a look at the Patagonia brand.  Not only do they offer a fabulous wide range of products online, their website gives a good resource for technical information. 

Their mission statement is fabulous:

Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.

They also have a section called environmentalism, which highlights avant-garde environmental issues and outlines how it is that they as a company have a social impact through their various projects. .  At least 1% of worldwide sales go to environmental causes.

The company started out very small that originally made tools for climbers.  Nowadays the company still makes clothes for climbing and for what they call silent sports.   This means none of the sports require a motor - rather each sports “reward comes in the hard-won grace and moments of connection between the athlete and nature”. 

The approach taken towards product design is a combination of simplicity and functionality.  So wool being the functional fibre that it is, is incorporated into a wide range of their pieces. Simply by inserting wool into the search field they have on their website, you will be able to see why wool is so wonderful! www.Patagonia.com

Here is the information submitted to www.thewoolroom.com/theblog_form.php on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
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Name: Jennifer Corn

Comments: Excellent article. I believe that we must use our "Natural " products to be competitive in the current marketing scheme. We at Roswell Wool believe that the natural fibers, and the natural meat is the future of the sheep industry.

26th January 2010
The Wool Project

We are proud supporters of The Wool Project launched by HRH The Prince of Wales and will follow and take part in its progress through the coming months and years. 

The Wool Project is his initiative to bring the natural and sustainable attributes of wool to the attention of textile buyers, retailers and ultimately the consumer.

Gathering over 130 textile stakeholders from the world of wool including retailers and icon designers, HRH The Prince of Wales gave the keynote address and explained why he believes it to be the fibre that can add immense value to both fashion and interiors.

Wool is a historic fibre that has long supplied the apparel, carpet upholstery industries but competition from man-made fibres has impacted on the price of wool globally and present generations unfortunately have little understanding of the real natural benefits of this truly wonderous fibre.

He explained clearly the issues faced by sheep farmers that make little or no money from wool when their shearing costs are often more than the price they get for their wool. He commented that the “The future of the fibre was looking very bleak indeed…The sad truth is that around the world farmers are leaving sheep production because the price they get for their wool is below the costs of actually shearing it.”

The main wool organisations from around the world have joined together to back The Wool Project and to promote wool generically. The Prince said, “The wool industry is truly international and I am glad that the Wool Project is now a partnership that includes the wool-growing organisations of Australia, Britain and New Zealand.”

22nd January 2010
MoovCulture®

Seeing as though it seems to be snowing in the northern hemisphere at the moment, we thought it quite relevant to introduce MoovCulture® and its MoovBoot’s®  brand! If you have never heard of this brand, you should really take some time to get to know them especially in these cold and wet weather conditions.  Moovculture® is an Australian based company producing Wellington boots lined with 100% merino wool. 

The idea for the boots came from a genuine love for snow by the founders and the frustration found when not knowing what to put on their feet in snowy wet conditions while keeping warm.  The boots have a built in heat reflective foil in the rubber sole which repels cold from the ground and retains heat during colder temperatures.  This in combination with the merino inner is a guarantee for warm feet. They are also very easy to clean with their rubber exterior.  You might relate to Wellingtons as boots worn when gardening and not necessarily a fashion accessory but this is where you are wrong! 

These wellies come in a wide range of colours and designs and telling by the amount of appearances they have had in renowned fashion magazines are quickly becoming a must-have! We as wool – lovers can guarantee for the difference you will feel while wearing wool in winter!

To see a range of their products and to purchase online, please visit: http://www.moovculture.com

18 January 2010
Fashion NYC 2020

11/01/09 saw the launch of Fashion NYC 2020 at Macy's Herald Square.  What is interesting about this initiative is that it is a clear reaction to what seems to be the ever increasing and rapid growth in outsourcing for numerous US and European firms, leaving local companies or more specifically manufacturers, in an ongoing fight to survive.   This year long initiative is specifically New York based with over 75 retailing and fashion leaders, together with Mayor Bloomberg's office, discussing how to preserve New York as America's garment capital - as reported by the WWD reports (www.wwd.com).

President and CEO of Macy’s Inc. said, “We'll talk about what we can do to ensure the fashion industry continues to be centred in New York and what can the city do to encourage job creation and income growth for small, medium and large fashion, wholesale and retail firms. This is intended to be a discussion, a Q&A, a learning and development session. The city is looking for concrete ideas. Innovation and talent development at the early career stage are on my list.”
Further issues to be discussed will include:

• Bolstering business in the boroughs and stimulating tourism, possibly by providing shopping coupons or even subsidizing airline tickets.
• Street vendors and quality-of-life issues.
• Fashion's Night Out, scheduled for Sept. 10, which could entail a no-sales-tax day and a fashion show for the general public.
• How to shorten the buying cycle so stores can sell more wear-now clothes and capture trends better.
• Technology, including sustainability, the new media and mobile marketing. Pop-up stores.

While some points being brought up with this initiative certainly are valid, we also need to consider what impact shortening the buying cycle will have in the long run.   Treehugger.com reminds us that companies like H&M and Inditex  (Zara) are known for their quick turnover rate in current trends, which ultimately means that clothes rapidly become out of trend and just as rapidly end up in the garbage.  This surely is not sustainable! 

Surely then it is quality in seasonless clothing with substance that has a future if we want a future?  Does this mean that natural sustainable raw material will make a massive comeback? It must because wool is wonderful!

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7 January 2010
Consumer products in the 21st Century

Gwyneth Paltrow has set up her own lifestyle website which has some quite insightful posts.  One of her latest posts makes reference to the issue of going green and this is what she has to say about it:

““Going green” is no longer just the ideology of left-wing hippies. Nor is it a trend. We are living in exciting times. We are confronted with the challenge of sustaining our food, our water and our environment. We are changing things. It’s big. You know a movement is afoot when Windex® imposes a “green list” to regulate what goes into their products and Reynolds Wrap® launches an aluminium foil made out of recycled, well, aluminium. The more commercial it goes, the better off we all are, and not only from an ecological and environmental standpoint. Design-wise, inspiring options are becoming available. It’s a win-win.”

So if this is the case, then we, the wool industry, should now more than ever be taking a stand. Wool meets all the needs to be “green” when processed accordingly.  There seems to be a real trend towards being the “informed” consumer. Just have a look at the general trend of consumer websites all making homage to the environment as well as the types of products now readily available. On her site, Gwyneth P. mentions a whole list - all of which are a clear step towards a greener future.  We would like to share two with you:

1) A Users Guide for the 21st Century
“This book is the essential guide to creating sustainable solutions for today’s problems. Their proactive suggestions inspire you to change your behaviour and be more conscious of the choices you are making and their impact on the earth.”.

2) Peapod
“Peter Arnell, (…) created this new neighbourhood electric vehicle (NEV) that runs entirely on electricity and emits no pollutants. It can be charged using a normal outlet and is the perfect way to get around short distances. You can sign up to pre-order the car online and then it will be delivered to your house. Expected to be available in October.”

You might say what has this got to do with wool? A lot!  As the search to develop products that are eco friendly continues, so to the need for sustainable resources and raw materials grows.  We believe wool to be one of those resources.  We need to widen the range of consumer products that incorporate or need wool. Do you have any good ideas?

6 January 2010
Cover Yourself with a Wool Wonder!

Ollie Switserlood, a designer from Belgium makes the most beautiful and very original cardigans, jackets and vests.  She uses only natural fibres and to our delight many of her pieces are out of 100% wool.  It is her love and desire to create beautiful things, her designs are timeless making them wearable year after year.  Although her website is in Dutch you can still have a good look at her designs which are available directly though contacting her.  Her contacts details can be found under the “where” tab at www.olliezwitserlood.com.

21 December 2009
Recycling Wool!

The former Ford factory built in 1910 by Henry Ford himself is no longer in use and is being left to the natural forces of nature, literally.  The artist Andrew Moore explains in the December 21 issue of Time Magazine that he has decided to make a record of the decay of Detroit “ and the way in which the city (ironically) is being re-ruralised”.   As he puts it, the works of man are being recycled.   What is interesting though is that this has all happened due to the unique quality of wool being sustainable.  The photo published in the magazine shows an old office with decaying wood panelling and a moss covered floor.  What is now the moss covered floor was once a wool carpet!  The decaying wool has become a fecund ground for the moss.  We think this is the perfect example for emphasizing once again that wool reverts to nature and gives back to where it came from.  With sustainability being the topic of the moment and definitely one for the future isn’t this a wonderful wool success story?

Andrew Moore is currently showing at the Yancey Richardson Gallery.  The exhibition will run through until the 9 January 2010.  The press release issued by the gallery gives you some insight into the artist’s work.

“Yancey Richardson Gallery is pleased to present Detroit, the gallery’s fifth solo show by New York-based photographer Andrew Moore.  The exhibition, the result of seven trips made to Detroit over the past two years, continues Moore’s use of architecture as a way to explore themes of history, culture and time. As the artist states: “My interests have always laid at the busy intersections of history, particularly at those locations where multiple tangents of time overlap and tangle… Detroit is more than a story of physical decline, decay and transformation; it is a city where the distortion of time is inventing new symbols for the America of the future.” Moore’s Detroit series will be the subject of a traveling solo exhibition in 2010, originating at the Akron Art Museum and accompanied by a monograph Detroit: Disassembled with an essay by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Detroit native Philip Levine. Several of the gallery exhibition’s photographs are characterized by a hint of Surrealism, with things jarringly out of place or come alive. The ruined ornamental architecture of a former movie palace, the UA Theater, suggests the fantastic labyrinthine structures of Piranesi, an early influence on the Surrealists.  In a photograph of what was once Henry Ford’s elegant executive offices at the Model T headquarters, a carpeted floor ripples with an incongruous landscape of brilliant green moss. In an abandoned burned school Moore photographed a melted clock whose face bears the inscription National Time. The photograph serves as an ironic comment on the country’s economic debacle while referring directly to the melting clock in Salvador Dali’s painting The Persistence of Memory. As Moore states, “Detroit is more than a story of physical decline, decay and transformation; it is a city where the distortion of time is inventing new symbols for the America of the future.””