Partners
We choose to work with people who share the same values we do. We foster meaningful, mutually beneficial long-term partnerships that help us build our community of purpose-driven businesses.
New Zealand Merino
Working with growers and brands, The New Zealand Merino Company has been instrumental in elevating the value of merino and helping promote sustainable practices that benefit animals, farmers and environment.
ZQ
ZQ™ is an accreditation program that ensures all Merino in Untouched World™ garments is grown to specified animal welfare, environmental, social and economic standards. Our Merino suppliers all adhere to a strict no-mulesing policy as part of ensuring the health and welfare of the sheep. Growers follow guidelines governing soil conservation and the use and development of land, air and water resources.
New Zealand's unique high country environment and farming systems produce Merino fibre renowned for its range of attributes, which give our Untouched World™ Merino garments their distinctive lightness and smoothness to touch. Here in New Zealand, Merino sheep graze on pastures in 'free range' conditions throughout the year. The free range style of farming suits both the high country environment (alpine and sub-alpine grassland) and the hardy Merino breed.
Merino producers have developed the necessary stockmanship often over many generations, to ensure the health and welfare of their sheep and that the productive capacity of their farms is maintained or enhanced, rather than degraded. Merino sheep are farmed in some of the most beautiful alpine and sub alpine grassland areas. To ensure they stay this way for future generations, farmers have developed systems that result in the production of high quality Merino fibre without damage to the environment.
The sustainability of farming is closely linked with the social and economic welfare of farmers, farm workers and communities. The majority of ZQ™ Merino fibre is produced in the South Island's high country where farmers and their local communities have developed a distinctive culture of robustness and resilience, while continuing careful stewardship of the land. ZQ™ provides a transparent traceability scheme that allows us to identify and track ZQ™ fibre back to the farm. This ensures the desired fibre quality is maintained and that product and system integrity is not compromised.
ZQRX
ZQRX takes sustainability to the next level, looking at the greater picture of global challenges and works to accelerate change through regenerative practices. By encouraging small, collective actions towards regenerative farming, ZQRX challenges their wool growers to explore and understand the complex relationship between their livestock, soils, climate, ecology and community. Backed by solid science and data, growers are provided with strategies to implement in their work. Regenerative farming practices are designed so that future generations are also able to reap the benefits of our natural resources. It is an ongoing practice that is never complete to constantly strive for a brighter future.
Glenthorne Station
The source of the majority of our Merino procurement programme comes from Glenthorne Station which is located 117km outside of Christchurch, within the Canterbury region of New Zealand, and is a ZQ™ certified merino farm. This beautiful piece of unspoilt South Island land is the source of all the Merino used in our Mountainsilk™, Total Easy Care Merino and our CoolTree™ Fabric. Glenthorne Station is leading the way in sustainable farming practices. “Our commitment is to develop Glenthorne as an exemplary high country station promoting sustainability commensurate with its definitively pristine environment and associated values.” – Glenthorne Station (2019)