Season after season, we try to reduce our environmental footprint by reassessing every aspect of our business and exploring ways to improve our sustainability credentials. One of the best, most impactful areas we can do this is at the source, or in other words, the fabrics we use, which has always been Oli's passion and starting point for every design. For summer collections, this has meant choosing organic cotton suppliers, while also increasing the amount of linen we use (linen, which comes from the flax plant and has a very low environmental footprint).
GRANDPA COAT |
JUDO TROUSERS |
For winter collections, the options are not so broad. While wool itself is biodegradable and has a great lifespan if looked after well, the production of it can be harmful to the environment, especially during the dyeing process. So we've made every effort to use what we call 'ecological wool', which is natural wool that hasn't been dyed.
"It's paramount that we use ecologically friendly raw materials where we can," says Oli. "Our Wickham Oatmeal cloth is a perfect example - every single part of the process is done here in the UK, from the rearing of the sheep to the spinning of the undyed natural yarn."
SOLMS JACKET |
This season, we have used eco wool as the mainstay of our Wickham Oatmeal fabric, which is a beautiful houndstooth yarn woven at a fantastic mill in Oldham, Lancashire. Once the hub of British woollen mills, only a few world class mills remain in the area, so it's important that we support local. The fabric uses 100% undyed pure new wool, which is naturally eco-friendly. The spinner has selected three natural pure wool shades and blended them to create a natural colour range without any dyeing process whatsoever.
BERMONDSEY BOMBER |
The yarn they produce for us is wonderfully soft and strong, which is why we have used it in four different garments for our Autumn 20 collection. Blending it with dyed yarns, the Wickham Oatmeal fabric has accents of orange, blue, green and black, forming a classic houndstooth pattern. We've produced it in some of our perennial favourites: the Solms jacket, Judo trousers, Grandpa coat and the Bermondsey bomber jacket, allowing you to wear the fabric as a set, or simply as separates. The neutral tone of the ecological wool makes Wickham Oatmeal an easy tone to style with, and the accents of colour are really useful for complementing tones in trousers, shirts and other layers. The buttons are also made from ethically sourced natural buffalo horn and have a wonderful patina that only improves with age. We're really proud of the work that has gone into creating this fabric all the way from provenance to wardrobe, and we think you'll love it too.