Wool: An Incredible Material That Deserves to Be Better Exploited
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In fashion, there are exceptional natural materials that deserve to be more valued. This is the case with wool. We love it for its authentic and warm qualities, but did you know that it accounts for only two percent of the fibers used in the global textile industry? It is 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 ball of wool and started watching YouTube tutorials to learn how to knit. I promise you will want to do like me and add a touch of 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 sufficiently utilized 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 would become a cooperative in 2018) Laine Paysanne in 2016. Their goal? To enhance the wool from local flocks in Ariège and surrounding departments and reconnect agriculture with 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. Then 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 particular characteristics.
The 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.)
The spinning and knitting are done artisanally in the Tarn department.
Wool makes its fashion revolution!
The fashion week also takes place in the fields! With their campaigns for local wool, Olivia and Paul communicate the importance of using wool as a fiber of the future since it addresses current ecological and social challenges. The trend supports 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 farmers and to humanize the sector. The cooperative Laine Paysanne launched 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 the sheep is one of her priorities: “Ensuring animal welfare requires transparency and traceability in the supply chains.” Like many, she regrets the opacity in the conventional industrial textile sector.
Wool, an ancient material at the forefront!
Generally, customers are amazed by wool. They discover that modern clothing can be made with this exceptional natural material.
Olivia and Paul work without dyes, only using the natural colors of the wool. “Indeed, all these beautiful panels of gray are obtained with blends of authentic colors depending on the breeds of sheep. This gives a unique identity and ecological dimension.“
The production costs of wool are extremely high. That’s why Laine Paysanne controls all the manufacturing of the products and also develops a range of clothing and accessories including 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 blankets. 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 tackling such a project, as my knitting skills are limited to a few YouTube tutorials!
Image credit ©unsplash
