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Fashionista and farmer Georgina Lawson
photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
A sustainable fashion brand was born and is growing on Georgina and Willie Lawson’s sheep farm in Otago.
Their Romdale lambswool is made Atér designer coats and suits.
“Atér is my grandmother’s name spelled backwards,” says Georgina, the brand’s founder, designer and mother of three sons.
Georgina’s grandmother Rita was a professional seamstress who specialized in making wedding gowns.
“I used to tinker with her in her sewing room when I was little. She tried to teach me a thing or two. She was smart. Very smart, in fact.”
Georgina, wearing a wool coat, stood on the top of the mountain and looked west.
photo: supply
Showing another coat in the sheepfold.
photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
It was Georgina’s grandmother’s inspiration and the low value of sturdy wool that gave her the idea to start a business.
“I was complaining to my husband about the falling price of wool and he said, well, why don’t you try to do something with it? That’s how I started exploring how to use this great fibre that we grow on our farm.”
Willy Lawson checks his sheep on the 1400-hectare property.
photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
A herd of Romdale sheep climbing a steep hill.
photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Wool coats are a natural fit for this up-and-coming designer.
“When we lived in London I became a bit obsessed with coats, so I thought, I’m going to start making my own coats.”
A lack of strong wool innovation has been a major challenge for New Zealand wool growers. Lawson is reversing this trend.
She said her outerwear requires medium to high micron fibres for strength and to weave the fabric.
“Strong wool has always been used to make carpets, and I thought, why can’t we use it in fashion and create a great product that will last forever?”
The coats are made from wool from pigs grown on the farm.
photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
One of the biggest challenges she had to overcome was turning raw fibers into designer outerwear in the country.
After extensive research, she mapped out a viable wool production process.
The wool is washed in Timaru, carded and spun in Wellington, then shipped to Auckland to be woven into cloth, cut according to patterns and sewn into the final garments by tailors.
“It makes no sense to export this quality product to New Zealand, then ship it back overseas and sell it as New Zealand wool.”
Georgina is working in design.
photo: supply
Georgina takes a wheat-colored coat from a long hanger in the farm studio.
“We went for a slightly loose fit so it’s casual. We have patch pockets for your phone and keys. It’s the right length, very simple and classic.”
Inspired by an old pair of shearling slippers.
photo: supply
She has several other designs in the works and plans to launch a new style next year, which she is already working on.
“I still can’t believe people say I’m a fashion designer. It was a dream I had as a child and I never thought it would actually come true,” she said with a big smile.
Looking back toward the coast from the family farm.
photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
A 180 degree view around where the above photo was taken.
photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
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