HAYDENSHAPES AND THE WOOLMARK COMPANY ANNOUNCE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP
The Woolmark Company joins forces with globally renowned art and design-led surf brand Haydenshapes, collaborating with founder and designer Hayden Cox. The global partnership will dive into the innovative application of Merino wool within surf and contemporary fashion across multiple categories.
Kicking off the partnership is the release of a 100% Merino men’s capsule as part of the Haydenshapes ready-to-wear collection titled ‘Post-surf / New Wave’. Selected garments feature upcycled bio-resin buttons and hardware made with repurposed wool and surfboard manufacturing waste, crafted by hand at Haydenshapes, Sydney Australia. Sourcing Merino wool fabrics and yarns from AW Hainsworth, ABMT Textiles and Xinao, the Woolmark-certified collection offered Haydenshapes a technical and environmentally friendly solution.
“To work with The Woolmark Company is an exciting partnership for Haydenshapes and one I see long-term for the brand,” explains Hayden Cox. “The concept of Merino wool as a leading fabric story within our RTW collection was to play on my nostalgic connection to staple wool pieces that I’ve had throughout my lifetime – some that have been passed down through generations. We wanted to bring a seasonal creative flavor that is interchangeable through hook and loop logo and art patch integration, so the pieces continue to be relevant season after season. For me, investing in pieces that you keep and wear throughout your lifetime that are durable and not married to a particular season is a key part of sustainability and slows the rate of consumption. Hainsworth wool is an iconic fabric used in the British military uniform which we favored for its structure and feel when applied to our contemporary shape and silhouettes.”
Unlike traditional synthetic fibers, science shows that wool fibers are 100% biodegradable in both land and marine environments and so do not contribute to microplastic pollution. From a technical point of view, wool offers superior thermal insulation keeping the wearer cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s not, as it reacts to changes in body temperature. A highly breathable fiber, wool also absorbs moisture vapor which means less sweat on your body. And being natural elastic means wool products stretch with you yet easily return to their original shape.
In a bid to combat the rising tide of microplastics, working with Australian Merino wool was a natural choice for Haydenshapes, which has sustainability embedded in its brand DNA. The world’s original performance and eco fiber, Merino wool fibers are also 100% natural, renewable and recyclable, providing the ultimate choice in responsible consumption thanks to the fiber’s inherent environmental credentials.
“Designing with a greater consideration of sustainability is a goal of mine and looking at how we construct and manufacture products or reuse the waste material from the process can have a great impact. The Merino fashion pieces are only the start of some really exciting developments that’s been taking place behind the scenes with The Woolmark Company, which we will continue launch over the next 12 months.”
“This partnership brings together two Australian icons – Merino wool and the surf industry – and offers a natural way to warm up and cool down pre- or post-surf,” explains The Woolmark Company Managing Director John Roberts. “Innovative applications of Merino wool in unique environments drives new opportunities for the fiber and challenges the way people may think about wool.”
The Post-Surf ready-to-wear Woolmark x Haydenshapes capsule collection launches on Mr Porter in December and will be shoppable on haydenshapes.com.