DESIGNER FEATURE: JULIET SOUTER (CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF MARLE)

Living here has definitely influenced the way I design and create our collections. The lifestyle here is inherently more relaxed and home-based so I feel the collections reflect that. We want Marle to work for women of any age, any stage in her life and from anywhere. Whether it’s home, work, running around after children – the premise is that it’s everyday luxury so fabrics and fits are essential to bringing this philosophy to life.

THERE'S WOOL PULLED OVER OUR EYES

The wool vs synthetics debate has been frequenting in discourse world-wide and many are still unsure. Should we stay with a ‘natural’ fibre or risk all of the environmental havoic that chemically-ridden synthetic clothing may have. We have been entirely led astray by the consumerist shepherd to come to the false assumption that wool is a natural resource that impacts the environment positively, luckily for us we have Emma Håkansson who clarifies a few misconceptions up for us.

Emma also discusses alternative fibres to wool that we can invest in as well as enlightens us to the history of sheep, that made us question farm life as we know it.

IS WOOL REALLY A CRUELTY-FREE INDUSTRY? THE TRUTHS UNCOVERED

Still undecided as to whether to wear wool? Arguments protest that wool is biodegradable, regulates body temperature and is totally ethical as the animal is not slaughtered, just sheared.

There is a common misconception, spread by the wool industry, that wool is a cruelty free material, so long as farmers obey animal welfare laws, and shear their animals carefully. This could not be farther from the truth. Consumers who care about animals have a right to understand the true cost of wool. Click to read how wool cruelty is still standard practice and what alternatives we have available.