This article is also available in Italian / Questo articolo è disponibile anche in italiano
Wovenbeyond is a British startup that combines regenerative wool, natural fibres and traceability to revolutionise the textile industry at its roots. Starting from the pastures and ending up on the catwalks, it focuses on independent fashion brands.
Wovenbeyond was Founded by Gloria Mazzer, a former designer for major international brands such as Michael Kors and Diane von Furstenberg. It aims at transforming an opaque, plastic-dependent fashion system, towards building a transparent and traceable textile supply chain, reconstructing a deep connection between land, fibres and people. At the heart of the project is a network of British regenerative farmers who transform Merinos d'Arles wool into high-quality yarns through local and sustainable processing. But it's not just about wool: the company is experimenting with innovative blends by mixing wool with natural fibres such as Himalayan nettle and Chinese lotus.
Each fibre tells a tale of territory, biodiversity and inclusion. The start-up collaborates with Himalayan Wild Fibres, a Nepalese social enterprise whose local communities harvest wild nettles by hand. This creates alternative sources of income for women during the less productive months and for the inhabitants of the Himalayan villages in the Dolakha district. It also collaborates with the shepherds of the Merinos d'Arles Selection collective. They still practise transhumance, an ancient form of nomadic pastoralism organised around the migration of livestock between mountain pastures in the warm seasons and lower altitudes during the rest of the year.
In China, the lotus is a symbol of purity, and it is cultivated in agroecological systems that purify water and nourish the soil. This is often combined with fish farming in a sustainable and symbiotic practice. Lotus fibre is a natural alternative to the binders used in bouclé yarns, which are usually made of nylon.
In sum, with its holistic approach, Wovenbeyond wants to redesign fashion starting from the field: not only focusing on environmental protection, but also on animal welfare, social justice and wealth redistribution along the supply chain. This is a paradigm shift that puts the origin of the fibre and the relationship with the producers at the heart, promoting more conscious consumption.
Name:
WovenBeyond
Website:
Sector:
Fashion
Plus:
Community of British farmers committed to redistributing wealth throughout the production chain.
Features:
Natural and fully traceable yarns made from fibres grown with a regenerative and holistic approach.
Cover: Envato image