Wool: An Incredible Material That Deserves to Be Better Utilized
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In fashion, there are exceptional natural materials that deserve to be more valued. Such is the case with wool. We love it for its authentic and warm qualities, but did you know that it represents only two percent of the fibers used in the global textile industry? It was from this realization that a couple from Ariège, Olivia, a craft weaver, and her partner Paul, a farmer, wanted to honor this material by creating the cooperative Laine Paysanne. After our interview, I swear it’s true, I bought a skein of wool and started watching YouTube tutorials to learn how to knit. I promise you will want to do the same and add a little woolly softness to your daily life.
French wool as a starting point
We are in Saverdun, a small village in Ariège. The young couple comes to the realization: wool is not being utilized well enough in the fashion industry. Faced with this observation, coupled with the fact that most French wool is exported abroad, they decided to create the association (which will become a cooperative in 2018) Laine Paysanne in 2016. Their goal? To enhance the wool from flocks in Ariège and surrounding departments and reconnect agriculture to the textile industry.
As Olivia says, and it’s true that we often forget, “our clothes first grow in the fields.” However, valuing local wool is no small feat!
Laine Paysanne travels through the twenty-five partner farms. Next comes the first shearing of the sheep, the first harvest, and finally, the sorting. To recover the best wool, six or sometimes seven different breeds of sheep are used, each with its own specific characteristics.
Wool is then sorted in Occitanie and washed in Haute-Loire. (This region is the last in France to practice a semi-industrial washing technique.)
Spinning and knitting are done artisanally in the Tarn department.
Wool is making its fashion revolution!
The fashion week also takes place in the fields! With their local wool campaigns, Olivia and Paul communicate the importance of using wool as a fiber of the future, as it addresses current ecological and social challenges. The trend vindicates them with the great return of knitwear in fashion.
By participating in Fashion Revolution Week, Olivia also wants to shine a light on wool producers. The idea was to set up a campaign that contributes to the visibility of breeders and humanizes the sector. The cooperative Laine Paysanne ran a campaign with the slogan “I made your wool” which circulates on social media with photos of producers.
It should be noted that in most European countries, sheep are raised for meat or milk. Wool, considered a by-product, is unfortunately often discarded.
For Olivia, the well-being of sheep is one of her priorities: “The guarantee of animal welfare comes from transparency and traceability in the sectors.” Like many, she regrets the opacity in the traditional industrial textile sector.
Wool, an ancient material on the forefront!
Generally, customers are amazed by wool. They discover that modern clothing can be made from this exceptional natural material.
Olivia and Paul work without dyes, using only the natural colors of wool. “Indeed, all these beautiful shades of gray are obtained from authentic color mixes depending on the breeds of sheep. This gives a unique ecological identity and dimension.“
The production costs of wool are extremely high. That is why Laine Paysanne controls the entire manufacturing of products and also develops a range of clothing and accessories consisting of skirts, dresses, jackets, and even warm socks perfect for winter. “We sell finished products that also tell a story.”
In addition to clothing, there is a home range with completely handmade rugs, cushion covers, and throws. If you want to make your own Christmas sweaters, it’s also possible to buy knitting yarn! For my part, I will probably wait until next year before embarking on such a project, as my knitting skills consist of a few YouTube tutorials!
Image in header ©unsplash
