Steve Ranford from AgResearch Wool Academy Podcast

#051: Steve Ranford about wool research

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Steve Ranford is a Senior Scientist at AgResearch. In this podcast interview, he is talking about the important environmental role wool has to play in today’s world and why it is therefore important to continue research about one of the oldest fibres in the world. Steve covers topics such as biopolymers, biodegradability, isotopes and specifications.

About Steve Ranford

Steve Ranford is a Senior Scientists at AgResearch in New Zealand. During his whole career, Steve has been an important contributor to wool research making huge contributions to the wool industry. Steve is currently working on wool product development, sustainable processing and new tools for process control. His research experience covers the development of visual and infra-red spectrometry, mass spectrometry and sensing technology to provide rapid information on fibre and food products. Steve has recently developed a system for tracing the origin of wool fibres that integrates with current IWTO wool sampling and testing platforms.

Connect with Steve Ranford and AgResearch

AgResearch website

AgResearch on YouTube

AgResearch on LinkedIn

AgResearch on Facebook

AgResearch on Twitter

 

 

 

Claudia Weiss Montelan and Don Baez Eco Chic guest at Wool Academy Podcast

#050: Claudia Weiss about Don Baez Eco Chic

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Claudia Weiss de Machado runs her own wool retail company by the name Don Baez Eco Chic. The brand sources only so-called grey wools from Uruguay and uses them undyed in their fashion and accessories products. All products are manufactured in Uruguay and sold online and through the Don Baez shop in Montevideo.

In this interview, Claudia Weiss tells the story about how she got started working in the wool industry by learning directly from her father. She also speaks about her vision of making consumers into wool fans.

About Claudia Weiss

Claudia Weiss de Machado was born in 1958 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Her Czech father Fritz Weiss, was a passionate and very successful wool exporter. Claudia attended the British Schools in Montevideo and later graduated from Sussex University (UK) with a B.A. in Economics and Italian. Later she spent one year in Rome where she developed a keen interest in fashion.  Claudia lives between Montevideo and her small organic farm near Punta del Este with her husband and three children.

Claudia has worked alongside her father, who has been an important mentor for her, for 20 years. Claudia’s dream had always been to start a wool brand in un-dyed fine wool, which she could source locally. She named her brand after her father, whom everyone called ‘Don Baez’. In 1997 Don Baez started out making woven blankets. Since then the collection has grown to include a wide range of different products including capes, jackets, ponchos etc.

Her interest in fashion, as well as her desire to support animal welfare and a healthy attitude to life (LOHAS) started at an early age. Through the brand, she has created wearable designs that are simply tailored with a feminine edge but which also emphasize the sustainability of un-dyed wool. Her intention is to make Don Baez’s designs have a style of their own and be timeless and hopefully very chick.

Don Baez opened its first store in 2013 in Punta Carretas – the trendiest neighborhood in Montevideo. The products are also available in many Uruguayan wineries and top hotels.

Connect with Claudia Weiss and Don Baez Eco Chic

Don Baez website

Don Baez on Facebook

Don Baez on Instagram

Don Baez Eco Chic store in Montevideo: José Ellauri 532 esq. Montero, Montevideo 11300, Uruguay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wool Live Cycle Assessment Beverley Henry Wool Academy Podcast

#049: Dr Beverley Henry about Wool Life Cycle Assessment

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Insights from the expert on wool’s Life Cycle Assessment

In this episode, Dr. Beverley Henry talks about why the opinions about the sustainability for fibres varies so much and how we can find common grounds through the method of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). She shares with us the latest findings on LCA research for wool and how this is integrated into the textile supply chain. Beverley  explains how individual companies can use the available research on LCA to improve their product footprint.

About Dr. Beverley Henry

Dr Beverley Henry is a member of the IWTO Wool Life Cycle Assessment Technical Advisory Group, an Adjunct Associate Professor with Queensland University of Technology, and a consultant to agricultural industries. For over 30 years she has conducted research on agricultural systems focusing on profitability and sustainability especially in variable climates and markets.  Beverley is particularly interested in the integration of grazing in extensive pastoral regions with effective environmental management and in communicating the value of these systems.  She is a member of Australian Government technical groups on climate change and research issues and a member of several national and international Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Standards bodies, including roles with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and International Standards Organization.

Connect with Beverley Henry here

Beverley’s profile at the Queensland University of Technology Brisbane, Australia

More information about wool LCA on the IWTO website

 

 

 

Mac Bishop Wool & Prince Wool Academy Podcast 048

#048: Repost – Mac Bishop from Wool & Prince

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In this episode, Mac Bishop, founder and CEO of Wool & Prince talks about his business. The goal of Wool & Prince is to deliver durable long lasting apparel out of wool. Mac shares his experience on launching his business with the support of a Kickstarter campaign. For the Kickstarter campaign, Mac created a well-known video where he wore one of his wool button-down shirts for 100 days. In the interview, he shares how the video got created and what to look out for when creating a successful video for your product launch. Mac also talks about key learnings and challenges when growing his business.

 

About Mac Bishop from Wool & Prince

Mac Bishop is the founder of Wool&Prince, an online menswear brand that makes naturally odor- and wrinkle-resistant wool button-downs. When Mac started the company, he wore a wool shirt for 100 days in row to demonstrate the functional properties of wool. After four years in upstate New York at Cornell University and another four years in NYC, Mac moved back to Portland this past summer.

Connect with Mac Bishop and Wool & Prince here

Website: https://woolandprince.com/

Blog: blog.woolandprince.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WOOLandPRINCE/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WOOLandPRINCE

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woolandprince/

Email: help@woolandprince.com

Only What Matters website

 

 

Nick Armentrout Ramblers Way Wool Academy Podcast 47

#047: Nick Armentrout about the all American wool supply chain at Ramblers Way

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Nick Armentrout is the Supply Chain Leader at US retail brand Ramblers Way. Majority of the Ramblers Way products are made out of wool, sourced directly from US based wool growers. In his interview, Nick explains the whole Ramblers Way supply chain from farm to shop. Nick talks in detail about the Ramblers Way target group and how the company plans to grow long term.

About Nick Armentrout

As Ramblers Way’s supply chain leader, Nick oversees the sourcing, processing, and conversion of natural fibers to the finished fabrics that create our products. He enjoys working with raw materials from nature and thinking critically about the lifecycle of Ramblers Way products.

A 25-year animal agriculture and organic farming veteran, Nick has learned on his feet at Ramblers Way since 2009 and appreciates apparel designed for long-term utility and use. His role includes maintaining relationships with individual ranchers as well as manufacturers of yarns, knit and woven fabrics and the dye houses that color Rambler’s yarn and fabric. He also manages certifications of manufacturing operations, such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Cradle to Cradle©.

Over the course of his career, Nick has managed four small businesses for others, and two of his own, throughout start-up phase to maturity. Nick is also a Saltwater Institute veteran where he educated students on Values-Based Business Models, which for the Chappell family emphasize: 1) Quality 2) Sustainability 3) American made 4) Family Owned and 5) Transparency.

Nick holds a BA in English from Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland. He participates in Maine Farm Bureau, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and Draft Animal Power Network. He has lent his skills as a volunteer to gardening, farming, and equine therapy organizations. Nick and his wife, Sarah, run Spring Creek Farm, an organic horse, sheep, hay and grain farm that also serves as the host facility for Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports for children and adults with disabilities.

Connect with Nick Armentrout and Ramblers Way here

Ramblers Way website

Ramblers Way Twitter account

Ramblers Way Instagram feed

Ramblers Way YouTube channel

 

Janne Strommen Devold of Norway Wool Academy Podcast 046

#046: Janne Strommen about wool’s important role at Devold of Norway

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Janne Strommen, Head of Marketing at Devold of Norway, talks about the company’s long relationship and history with wool. At the same time, Janne talks about the importance of not dwelling in history but instead constantly improving the product as well as the supply chain. She shares insights about the company’s new project called from Sheep to Shop. A traceability project linking the consumer directly to the wool grower. She also shares how the company is using social media as well as influencers to position Devold to the outdoor loving consumer.

About Janne Strommen

Janne Strømmen is the Head of Marketing at Devold of Norway since August 2015. At Devold she is managing the strategic development of the Devold brand domestic and internationally and has a key role in strategic projects. One of these projects is the further development of the Devold Quality Strategy (“From Sheep to Shop”) and the Devold innovation program.  Janne also oversees the development of all consumer communication concepts and leads the development of digital and social media channels.

Prior to joining Devold of Norway, Janne held a position as Global Brand Director at Stokke AS, building strong presence and awareness to the brand across Asia, Europe and the US, and establishing social media as one of the key communication channels internationally –creating a direct link from the brand to mothers searching for the best solutions to their newborn.

Janne Strommen studied Marketing and International business in Norway and Spain and holds an MBA in Strategic Brand Management from NHH, Norwegian School of Economics.

After years of studying and working in other countries and cities in Norway, she returned to her hometown Ålesund, on the west coast of Norway where she has her closest family. She spends all her spear time in the outdoors together with her partner and their friends, either snowboarding, mountaineering, skydiving or horseback riding, and they love traveling and experiencing the great outdoors of other places around the world.

Connect with Janne Strommen and Devold of Norway

Devold Sheep to Shop website

Devold of Norway Facebook page

Devold of Norway Instagram page

 

Willy Gallia Fuhrmann Wool Acacemy Podcast 45

#045: Willy Gallia about growing organic wool in the wilderness of Patagonia

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Willy Gallia of Fuhrmann in Argentina gives insights about why and how the company committed to growing and processing organic wool in the wilderness of Patagonia. Besides feeling that it was the right thing to do, it took a long breath before this strategic step was also reflected in the bottom line for the wool growers as well as Fuhrmann.
Willy Gallia explains that brands and retailers, as well as the end consumer, now show a growing interest in sustainability, animal welfare, desertification and origin of fibre, all of which organic wool can give answers to easily. Willy talks further about life in Patagonia where experiencing nature and living in communion with nature are part of everyday life, something that the urban consumers wish to connect to. Social media now gives the possibility to do just that.

About Willy Gallia and Fuhrmann

Willy Gallia is the commercial representative at Fuhrmann S.A. based in Trelew in the South of Argentina in Patagonia. Willy is responsible for the Northern European, Central and South American and Asian markets.
Fuhrmann, a family owned and run business is part of the family run G. Schneider Group.  Fuhrmann is specialised in buying and growing its own organic wool on a growing number of 13 farms with close to 300.000 sheep. All is washed and combed in the Trelew based mill in accordance with the GOTS organic standard.

Connect with Willy Gallia and Fuhrmann here

G.Schneider website

Instagram account of Will Gallia

Facebook account of Fuhrmann

Rita Kourlis Samuelson ASI Wool Academy Podcast 044

#044: Rita Kourlis Samuelson about the American Sheep Industry

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Summary

Rita Kourlis Samuelson from the American Sheep Industry Association gives a detailed overview of the sheep and wool industry of the United States. She covers such as how to what is special about American wool, what products the wool goes primarily into and how the industry is set up. Rita also talks about some of the programs the industry association runs to motivate younger generations to enter and stay in the industry as well as programs to help grow the industry. Last but not least Rita also talks about the industry’s efforts to educate the consumers about the benefits of wool.

About

Rita Kourlis Samuelson is ASI’s director of international wool/pelt marketing. As such, she oversees ASI’s domestic and international wool marketing programs, also quality improvement, product development and government procurement. She also works with international customers of American wool and wool products.

Prior to joining ASI at its start-up in 1989, Kourlis Samuelson worked for the American Sheep Producers Council beginning in 1983, bringing first-hand knowledge of wool and wool production and several years of retail marketing and management experience.

Kourlis Samuelson is past president of Woolknit Associates, a trade association that promotes wool in knitwear.

She has a business degree with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Denver.

The Kourlis family operates a sheep ranch in Craig, CO. Kourlis Samuelson’s father emigrated from Greece more than 60 years ago and started the Kourlis sheep operation years later. She was raised on the ranch with her two brothers and two sisters and has been involved in all aspects of the sheep and wool business.

Connect with Rita Kourlis Samuelson and ASI here

The American Sheep Industry Association website
ASI Facebook page
ASI Twitter account
Silvia Gambi Chamber of Commerce in Prato Wool Academy Podcast 043

#043: Silvia Gambi about wool recycling in Prato

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Silvia Gambi from the Chamber of Commerce in Prato explains about the history of how Prato became the centre of recycled wool. Through constant innovation, the Prato region has developed itself into an expert for high quality and innovative recycled wool fabrics. She introduces the Cardato Brand Certification that retailers and brands can work use to promote their products made of recycled wool to the consumer.
She explains further how recycled wool used to be regarded as something dirty while today it meets the demands of the green economy. Many international and well known brands use recycled wool fabrics from Prato in their fashion and interior product collections.

About Silvia Gambi

Silvia is the manager of external relations for the Chamber of Commerce in Prato. Silvia is a law graduate and works as a journalist. She has been involved in textile and fashion for over 15 years.

Connect with the Chamber of Commerce in Prato

Cardato website
Chamber of Commerce in Prato website
Cardato Facebook page
Cardato Twitter profile