Editors Letter
Do you know what your clothes are actually made of?
When buying a new item of clothing, how often do you check the clothing label to see what it’s made of? Do you know that your “wool” jumper is actually only made using 10% wool, and the majority is made using oil-based synthetics? Or your favourite cotton T-shirt is really made of a combination of elastics and polyamides– another fossil-fuel-derived synthetic?
We've become incredibly disconnected from the materials, people and places that produce our clothes. Every day, we engage in the ritual of getting dressed, yet we've grown further and further apart from the origins of the materials that have become our second skin: how they were made, in what country, and by whom. We need to begin to understand our clothes not merely as commodities detached from their original contexts but as garments imbued with rich and revealing stories.
Unravelled is a magazine dedicated to revealing the untold stories and processes behind our clothes. By documenting these narratives, we aim to nurture a transparent and regenerative fashion culture that values local materials and supports skilled makers. Unravelled aims to redefine wearing as an agricultural act, creating a community and shared wisdom for conscious consumers who support a fashion culture that sustains craftsmanship, champions transparency, and declares accountability. Our first issue, No1 Wool, focuses on British wool, tracing its journey from farm to fibre, featuring a curated selection of interviews with slow makers and craft practitioners and documenting our journey in creating Unravelled yarn.
This issue invites you to rethink the fashion system through a lens of collaboration, purpose, and accountability. It’s an opportunity to see wool not just as a material but as a symbol of what’s possible when we align our systems with the rhythms of nature. Wool can help us craft a new vision for fashion. One that bridges the gap between the material and the origins of our clothes by uncovering and sharing the rich, revealing stories behind the materials, processes, and people involved in fashion, evoking a deeper appreciation and ethical connection to what we wear. Wool isn’t just a fibre. It's a lifeline to a better future where the fashion system works in harmony with nature, where the clothes we wear tell a story of care, responsibility, and respect for the world we all share.
I invite you to join the journey of discovering how your knitwear is made, tracing the hands that have touched and crafted the fibre, transforming it into your most cherished jumper. Through thoughtful storytelling, I advocate for a fashion culture rooted in transparency and local craftsmanship, unravelling the stories woven into every piece of clothing.
Words by Tasha Clements
This article is part of our first Issue Nº1 Wool – you can order it here.
