With the launch of the Sir W. Core Collection, I took a moment to reflect on the significance of the release and the journey that has led up to this point.
Growing up on a family run Merino wool farm, outside of a small country town in Australia, I’ve always regarded myself as very lucky. Very few people have the opportunity to grow up like this, and it’s certainly not lost on me.
However, because of this, most consumers do not understand what woolgrowers do, or the beauty and incredible nature of the fiber that is Merino wool.
In today’s fashion, it’s very rare to find clothing that has a story beyond the store front, as most clothing is made with oil-based synthetic fibers, with no provenance story beyond the chemical lab it was created.
Sir W. offers the alternative, it offers something greater than just an item of clothing, or a great feeling shirt. It offers connection to the people and places that the fibers in our clothes were grown.
Each fiber in our clothing has a story that begins before it was a shirt, and even before it was thread. It begins when it was still just a single fiber on a sheep’s back, grazing on the grasslands or rolling hills of rural Australia. Living naturally as a flock, grazing grass, growing a soft and white fleece and cared for by a generational woolgrower. This process is unique to Merino wool and the Australian farmers that manage the health and well being of the Merino sheep.
With my family being one of these Australian farming families for over 120 years, it’s great privilege to be able to share and continue this history through the designs of Sir W. Merino. The family ties to Merino for me are strong and profound, influencing my childhood, outlook on life and the decisions I have made leading up to this moment.
I decided to give each item of the Sir W. Core Collection a different name, one that is influenced by my family heritage and experiences that help shape where I am today. As Sir W. Grows, I never want it to lose its connection to where it all began.
With our launch, it is an opportunity to do two things:
The first, is to introduce consumers to the incredible feeling of wearing Australian Merino. And the second is to create connection between the clothes our customers wear and the fantastic people and places that grow them.
I am very excited about the launch of our Core Collection and cannot wait to share it with you.
-Jock