THE VALUE OF BRITISH WOOL

THE VALUE OF BRITISH WOOL follows knitwear designer Nicci James in developing a new piece using breed specific wool yarns. This short film documents the process from sourcing fleece to creating the final piece, stakeholders at each stage including farmers, wool processors, spinning mills and manufacturers, highlighting both their challenges and new opportunities in working with native and rare breed wool as a local, abundant and otherwise wasted resource. This film was developed in collaboration with filmmaker Mairi Eyres to document the outcomes of a funded research project in partnership with British Wool, Southeast England Fibreshed, University of the Arts London and UNUSUWUL. Funded by AHRC via the Impact+ Network, this 12 month project examined the relationship between sheep breed, fibre characteristics and textile performance, building bridges between and knowledge of how we might better design for and with breed properties, beyond the narrow goal of softness. Merging material science methodologies with design research and innovative manufacturing techniques, this project began to explore how place-based narratives can support more equitable wool supply chain partnerships and circular textile systems within the UK. 

About Nicci James

Nicci James is a knit specialist and researcher championing the amazing diversity of native British wool breeds using digital knit technology and an innovative design system. Under the studio name UNUSUWUL, she work with farmers, designers and the UK wool network in-between to develop garments and textiles which celebrate the properties of the fibres they are made from, retaining qualities and behaviours that can be traced back to the fleece. Each piece made brings an opportunity to learn about the unique qualities of the breed, the landscape it comes from, the skilled hands and knowledge that process fleeces, transform fibre to yarn and how all of those things come together during making to define the piece itself.

“ The goal of my practice is to encourage people to question the materials they encounter and change their perception of wool. I do this by designing intentionally with the properties of the material in mind. Creating an element of surprise and intrigue about wool sits at the core of my design ethos, against the narrow, standard rhetoric of “soft”. I believe there is more substance and elegance to be found within wool by honour its unique properties, origins and diversity.”

Main Credits: 

Filmmaker: Mairi Eyers @mairieyers

Project Partners:

Southeast England Fibreshed - @southeastenglandfibreshed 

British Wool @britishwool

London College of Fashion @lcflondon_

Featured in the film:

Nicci James – @nicci.james

UNUSUWUL — @unusuwul www.unusuwul.co.uk

Veronika Kapsali – Professor in Material Technology and Design, London College of Fashion

Mark Goodman – Farmer, Shearer & his Teeswater Cross sheep @high_weald_grazier

Fiona Hamilton-Maclaren - Shire Mill @shire.mill

Zoe Fletcher – The Wool Library @the.wool.library @thewoolist